Million Word Dues

/Begin Rant/ I have been trying to start a short story. The idea behind this particular effort was to get something done in order to practice some craft techniques that I really need to work on. Those particular points are the subject of another post, perhaps, but not important now. My problem here is that I don't have an original idea for a premise. i.e. The main character is a 'insert whatever the hell I am missing here'  that 'does stuff' and uses 'whatever' to help him accomplish his lofty goals along with friends 'so-and-so' and "this-and-such.' Damnit. It seems that every time I finally think of something it sounds like a great idea at first, until I start fleshing it out and I suddenly realize that it has been done before. Ok.../End Rant/ coffee break is over.....back on my head.

I am frustrated. I need to write, I need to read, and I am angry that I can't cannot do both simultaneously. I need to learn more, I need to learn faster. I am very patient with some things, but this is a struggle for me. My problem is that that I take forever to come up with a course of action. I want to do the right thing. I evaluate and re-evaluate, weigh the pros and cons and then choose. Right, wrong, or indifferent once the choice is made, I have to run with it. I have the course, there is no reason not to get it done. I have so much to learn. I read some of the writers forums and really like the majority. I was reading one this evening about the copy edit process and the hostilities that some writers feel when dealing with a copy editor. I SO wish I had that problem. That would mean that I was getting published. I'll take it. Problems like that do not seem so bad to me, but it is a matter of perspective. I cannot imagine the difference in perspective from working