Out of My Element!

I should be writing. In fact, to be more specific, I should be writing my assignment for my Christian Writer's Guild lesson which is due on Sunday. But I'm not. I'm blogging, surfing the net, chatting with my sister-in-law on Facebook. Pretty much doing anything BUT working on my assignment.

I have the utmost awe and respect for fiction writers. How do you do it? I have read and reread my assignment half a dozen times and still... nothing! I feel SO out of my element right about now. I can feel that "I'm in over-my-head" frustration begin to rise. Heart palpitations begin to flutter in my chest and tears want to spring from my eyes. The ticking of the clock gets louder as each passing minute, hour, day goes by. The page is still blank.

Our first question for this assignment wants us to practice filling up three pages: first with random thoughts; secondly, with thoughts about writing and the direction/frustration, etc.; and thirdly, writing about one of the characters from my work in progress. The problem is... I have no real work in progress. I have no character to write about. I'm stumped. I don't know where to start. So I go down to question 2.

Question two wants me to write an outline of my work in progress - at least several pages worth. Aaaaaaaahhhh! I have nothing. No story in my head just dying to come out. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to quit... but I can't. I won't! I've come this far - Lesson 40 of 52. I can't run now because it's too hard. So I look at question 3, hoping I can at least get something down.

Question three - list half a dozen ideas for stories I hope to write some day and write down the "germ" (picture/thought/idea) for each. Okay... maybe this one I can come up with something, ANYTHING that will jump start the rest. But I can't focus my brain long enough to think of any great "germs". I need help. I need inspiration. I need to pray!

Off I go to do just that and if you don't mind, I'd love your prayers too! This section of my course is only going to get harder from here on in if I have nothing in my think tank at the get go! Yikes!