Welcome! You've joined a very friendly and helpful forum - just watch out for people encouraging you to buy loads of products - shaving aquisition disorder can set in very easily. :lol:
If no-one else minds me doing so, I'll take Mick's suggestion and cover prep.
I'd say unless your facial hair is extremely soft, you need to prep the face. The three essential aspects of prep, in my humble opinion are:
1. Cleaning the area to be shaved
2. Heat
3. Moisture.
Probably the best way to prep for a DE shave is to shower first. This covers all three of the above criteria. In my case, I'm disabled and cannot really shower easily, so I have to prep in other ways. This may well be useful for you as well; let's face it, we can't always shave after a shower.
To cover each point in turn:
1. Wash the beard area, paying particular attention to the neck. What you use to do this is up to you, my only advice is not to use the bar of soap you use in the bath. Normal soap tends to strip natural oils from the skin, and a tiny amount of these oils will help lubricate the hairs for the shave. Some people use posh face wash, some use exfoliants. I prefer glycerine soap as it's cheaper and does the job - removing debris and lubricating the hairs.
2 and 3. If you're not showering before your shave, the best route to go is to run hot (not scalding, but hot) water in your basin and soak a good quality flannel or small towel in it. Wring out most of the water and hold the flannel/towel across your face and neck (fold it in half and pretend it's a bandit-style mask). Hold it there for 3 minutes, rewetting if it cools too much.
Now, many people will, at this point, apply 2-3 drops of shave oil. I've never used it, but some seem to like it, whilst others don't care for it. If you go to the Reviews - Pre-shave section of the site, you'll find opinions on some oils.
Finally, good lathering protocol is also an essential aspect of prepping the face. Whether you lather soap or cream directly onto your face, or mix it in a bowl of some sort before applying, make sure you work it into the stubble for at least a minute, as this helps raise the hairs and clears any remaining debris from the area.
I'll leave other members to cover the rest of the process, good luck!