I hate to sound ignorant but I need some real educ

I hate to sound ignorant but I need some real education here. I don't expect anyone to choose picks for me, but if I could ask a few questions and get some legit answers they will be greatly appreciated. i see on the other site that stocks just show up out of no where with big runs and people are there. How do they know about these before they run? What should I be looking for in the OTC world.?

Thanks