Where to start...it's been a while [NewDM] [PDQ]

[jezter6]

I haven't played an RPG in 15 years. Maybe more. I DM'd an online chat d20 Modern Game for like 3 sessions and we tired of it. But my kiddo (10) is interested in RPGs and so we want to do a family game with my wife and occasionally with our daughter (15).
I played some serious D&D at 10...so I know he could handle the crunch, but I'm planning on going crunch-lite, so I dug up my copy of "Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot" and have been scouring the web for 2 weeks relearning PDQ, planning a few changes to make it run a little more standard-PDQ (ie: replacing most of the mojo stuff with standard style dice from PDQ#)

But - this is where it got me last time - analysis paralysis. I'm spending too much time worried about railroading my players while also trying to at least build a little of the 'world' to start in so that I'm not overwhelming my son with too much open sandbox.
I spent more time today trying to find a good Wiki software to run on my laptop to keep track of the world they create than I did doing actual game stuff like drawing a starting city 'map' to at least give some vague ideas of what's available.
How do you shake off the rust? How do you get started when there's so much rattling around inside that you just can't figure out where to put at least minimal pen on paper (or words in a document)?
New GM tips, particularly someone new to a more narrative/open approach with systems like PDQ...

 

[billd91]

Your son is 10 - a little railroad is OK, particularly for the first session. Let him not worry about that for the first caper and use it as a chance to work through understanding the rules. Then, for a second caper, open up more choices and agency for him.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

New GM tips, particularly someone new to a more narrative/open approach with systems like PDQ...

Don't think. Just do.

I know that sounds like easy and unhelpful advice, but it's true. To quote the old Nike slogan, just do it.

The family isn't going to know good from bad. Railroading from sandbox. Seriously- it's all going to be good to them. You're going to make mistakes, and it's going to be okay. Because ... this is the key thing ... everyone is going to have fun.

Personally, I would start with something really basic and pregen just to get moving, and go on from there. But the main thing is just to pick a date and time to do it ... and do it. No more planning.

You'll be great.