Lo there!
As someone who has had a lot of trouble with the AAAAAH! hurdle myself, I think the best advice anyone can give you is to simply dive right in. Don't overthink it, don't dread the inevitable awkward interaction, and don't idealize the way it should be. Plot your in-character identity out to the smallest extent you're comfortable with, then improvise the rest. If you find yourself agonizing over every detail, improvise all of it! No matter where you end up, you'll always find folks there with you, wiling to take you in and meet you halfway.
There are about as many stances on lore as there are styles of RP. No one will press you into lore heavy interactions, and the majority of people out there seem to be light to moderate themselves, just vaguely referencing places, cultures, etc.
But seriously, why are you reading this instead of roleplaying right now? Go! GO! Shoo!
As someone who has had a lot of trouble with the AAAAAH! hurdle myself, I think the best advice anyone can give you is to simply dive right in. Don't overthink it, don't dread the inevitable awkward interaction, and don't idealize the way it should be. Plot your in-character identity out to the smallest extent you're comfortable with, then improvise the rest. If you find yourself agonizing over every detail, improvise all of it! No matter where you end up, you'll always find folks there with you, wiling to take you in and meet you halfway.
There are about as many stances on lore as there are styles of RP. No one will press you into lore heavy interactions, and the majority of people out there seem to be light to moderate themselves, just vaguely referencing places, cultures, etc.
But seriously, why are you reading this instead of roleplaying right now? Go! GO! Shoo!