Thank you Faye and Moon Type!
I appreciate your guidance. I do RP with my husband occasionally. He plays this snarky lalafell lady and I play a lanky elezen who doesn't know how to treat women. The dynamic can be really fun and really rocky with drama everywhere. His time is very limited, though, and the poor guy often falls asleep while I'm happily making IC conversation . Baring that, I have no one else irl who RPs. That's the hard part.
As far as the angsty ars I enjoy playing (and have put a lot of story into), my character is still capable of making a good first impression. I have two alts, but I really struggle playing happy go lucky types. Though, I should try that anyroadway.
I had a bit of a breakthrough though. By chance, I got involved in a RP that was being (accidentally or intentionally) set up by a swarm of frog head wearing PCs in and around the Quicksand. Though this was a chance thing, it helped me come up with a hook with someone. They did a WU after I finally plucked up the courage to throw my RP icon on my elezen. All of the stuff you guys have said became apparent in the coming, I don't know, hours that I role played with four different people! The first person was a new, shy RPer like me. It meant a lot that she joined me just to chat or RP casually. She pulled in an experienced RPer. Then, someone else randomly joined us after the first person left. All the while another experienced RPer was going all around the Quicksand taking drink orders in character.
It was a thing of beauty. I found that, even among these experienced RPers I was able to hold my own, include the shyer players (which I love to do), and keep my character the way I envision him. I was able to pull back from vomiting tmi about my character's back story. Being around people who used /em descriptions encouraged me to be free to do the same. I realized I'd already learned what I needed to do but needed an example in person to show me the ropes. I didn't apologize more than once. I was even able to engage in a dirty joke or two and follow up rejecting a booty call with grace (this was something I feared having to do, but is inevitably necessary for a non-ERPer like me, unless the PC is my husband XD).
I know it won't always be easy. Hooks are still lacking as of right now, but it was such a big confidence booster I really wanted to share!