Looking for a GM'ing coach and a Co GM
In reply to praguepride (msg # 7):
Whoa! Don't start with Pathfinder--what are you, crazy? It has a TON of rules (not even counting the first-party and, heaven forbid, third-party supplements) and the players are BOUND to know every single one of them better than you do. In their sleep. Backwards.
If you've honestly never roleplayed before and want to jump into GMing with a rules-based game (as opposed to freeform), why don't you try out something simple like Dungeon World or Microlite20? Those rulesets are straightforward and easy to learn, and you can really master the concepts without having a lot of prior experience. I like D6 for simple campaigns, personally, but its freeform magic systems can be a little daunting for beginners. (However, if you want a really fun, noir-style campaign setting, check out Bloodshadows. It was in MasterBook and d6 and I think it has a new system now, but the setting was always very interesting.)
Alternatively, if you like having rules but would rather not have to keep up a lot of them, there are also two-page systems like Adventurers or Hand-Head-Heart: Hobgoblin. Those are about as easy as it gets, and will give you a lot of experience in improvising GM rulings, which is one of the most important skills for any GM. (Be open to listening, be decisive, and be consistent.)
I mean, freeform is okay, but... it's different. My wife won't even play RPGs because she started out in freeform and she says rules suck. <g>