It takes times and considerable effort to build a storyline. And I believe, what a lot of people miss, is the fact all storeylines begin with friends. I mean hell, I'd have no chance of getting anything off the ground, if it weren't for the folks I've already met and cherished via ISRP. On the other hand, I am a very open person. I -try- to actively invite folks into my RPs, be they first met or otherwise. Some accept, and some decline, but for the most part, recruitment, for me at least, is an OOC process.
But perhaps I'm a little one sighted:
Is there such a thing, as an RP that is not a group RP?
Essentially it is a game, played with multiple participants. Sometimes, you have a limit to participants, and sometimes you dont. For instance, the RP I just ran, the murder mystery dinner, was certainly a group RP. It also had a minimum and maximum number of players. On the other hand, if you hadn't signed up before hand, you couldn't really participate; because, well, there was a lot of information to process and apply to your character. I didn't really say -no- people weren't allowed to join us, but it was required that they abide by the storyline; which is not often something you can pick up in five minutes.
My answer to Ru is this...*huggles* You know I love picking on you. Involve them anyways. If someone comes up to you and says: ehhh this RP is so groupy. Have an answer like: Yeah but I have this part *example* do you think you have anyone suitable? If their reply is no, give em a few more options and if they -still- turn you down, then you know to let their issues wash over the shoulders. You -cant- help folk who dont want to help themselves.
The key to involvement in an RP, is having open places for people/characters that suit them. That little insight is becoming a major learning curve for me. But we all try...at some point, to make up for what we see is wrong. I dislike the thought of single DMing...in fact it horrifies me to think I'm the only one in control (which is silly, I know...but still). Hence I ask a lot of questions to people behind the scenes. I'm weird I guess, in a sense that I'll take several peoples/characters goals and help them fulfill em. On the other end of the stick, as a player, it is often -way- easier to let someone do all the planning and you just -play-. And I would know, I've been doing it for years ;-).