looking for some advice

ok so i have been playin guitar on and off now for about 10 years, i have never had a lesson but i was ok on rythum but i could hardly play any lead guitar. but due to a personal tragedy about 4 years ago i pretty much gave it and only practied now and again. well i have been trying to get back into it for a good year now but i just cant seem to get going again. i have a couple of books on theroy and on learning to play but i try to go thru them and i get bored because i can do most everything in them. so i dont practice. then i try to learn a song i like and i get frustrated because i cant seem to get any speed or accuracy on my right hand or left.

i know i need to play way more then i do now but can i get some advice.
i need things like:

what balance should i have between theory and practial playing?
what should i be playing?
do i really need to stick it out i those beginner lessons with this is the e string stuff?
i have never been good at leads how can i build myself up enough to finally be able to learn them?

i could ask a million more questions but lets let these stand.

Welcome to GT... :)

When I write up practice routines for people, probably about 25% of the time goes to theory. It holds everything together and actually makes things easier once you have a little theory under your belt.

What should you be playing? After the practice element of scales/chords/ arpeggios and technique exercises to build picking speed and dexterity, legato etc... if you mean pieces, play what you want to play. It''s the best way to learn, and becomes its own reward.

On the beginner lessons - if you're having trouble now, It's probably down to gaps in knowledge so the only way to fill them will be to revisit the material. Obviously if you know which string is which you don't need to spend much time there, but just glance over it to check you really do know... AND... that you're right in what you're thinking...

On lead playing, if you don't know the 5 shapes for pentatonics that that should be your first assignment. It's all about practice - there are jam tracks here and all over the 'net. you can 'borrow' licks and runs off people, but only in playing more and more will you start to make them sound like yours... start with the basics, and build slowly.

Sadly, there are no secrets.... it's all practice and committing time to it. Daily practice is better than a weekly monster session.