So I was browsing the internet the other day. I was looking for books, blogs, or anything else on how to roleplay, how to run roleplaying games, etc. But just the very basics of the art in general, with no references to specific systems or settings. I'm Eden, by the way.
I wanted to be able to walk up to someone who's never played a roleplaying game before, but who is interested in starting, and say to him, "Hey, Bob. You wanna join our roleplaying group? Excellent. But before you do, please read [INSERT_BOOK_HERE]. That should give you a very clear idea of what roleplaying games are, and then you could decide for yourself if it's the right kind of game for you. If you'll still be interested, just come along, I'll explain the system and the setting and we'll be good to go." Or something similar for Bob the GM.
While this forum has some excellent material, it's still very small in scope, and less extensive than I would hope. It also doesn't cater specifically to novices. So I couldn't find anything like that. In fact, despite the huge number of of books about specific roleplaying games like D&D or WoD, I've discovered a startling lack of books about how to roleplay, or how to run roleplaying games, or create good characters or setting worlds (with the exception of Robin Laws's Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering and Graham Walmsley's Play Unsafe, and also a book by Gary Gygax, though I can't remember its name. These are all excellent but neither one of which cater to novices).
So I've decided to write my own.
However, I have absolutely no idea what I should concentrate on. This is where you guys come in. I've put together a tiny survey to help me know what it is people want most. I would greatly appreciate it if you (yes, you!) would take a minute to sound your voice, even if it's just in this thread.
Also, while I'm doing working on that, I'm still completely stumped. So if you know about any other existing resources, be they blog posts, books, podcasts or anything else I can give my new players or to more advanced players who want to GM, please post them.
Thanks a bunch!
Eden.