pre installation help!

I need patience and understanding here!

I have been told that you can easily build a website with WordPress, however I have no idea what I am doing.

I was using Dreamweaver to try and do it, but the package seems to have changed dramatically in the last ten years (!), so thought I’d take my friend’s advice and try WordPress.

I have tried to read the instructions, but when it talks about needing to download Apache and finding web hosts etc I am feeling overwhelmed. I sort of thought I could create the site first before having to pay money to host it.

I know I am coming across as thick here, but I am getting really confused. I have tried to get a book out the library, but out of the fifty or so books that are held by Surrey libraries, there are only about two that aren’t on loan and they are in libraries that I can’t get to.

Is anyone prepared to give my step by step instructions in layman’s terms?

Really sorry to ask, and many thanks in advance for any help!