[kangnkodos]

First go to where the people are.

Turn off your phone and put it away.

Then, when you're somewhere with a bunch of people, don't look at the big groups talking and laughing together. Look for someone all by themselves who looks even more introverted than you. Go over to THAT person and say hi. Make some positive comment about the event. "I'm really looking forward to the thing. I've really been interested in things since I was a little kid." Ask them their opinion, "What made you decide to attend?", "What do you hope to get out of it?", "What did you like about the thing we just saw?" "How did you get started in this kind of thing?" Be ready to give them more than a one word answer about why you like the topic.

Make small talk. Ask open ended questions, "What's that like?", "Tell me more about that thing you mentioned a few minutes ago, I want to hear more about that." Be ready to tell a few stories yourself. Talk, and also listen. Really listen to what the other person has to say, and how it makes them feel.

After you broke the ice, and there's a pause in the conversation, look for a third introverted person all by themselves. "Let's go talk with that person." Now you have a group of three. Keep your eyes open for people on the edge, and bring them in and up to date on the conversation. "Hi, have you met Huey and Dewey yet? Dewey was just telling us about a fascinating method of arranging books at the library".

It's not easy to reach out and say hi to a stranger. It's extremely difficult. You'll have to force yourself to do it the first few times. When you leave your room to go to an event, promise yourself that you're going to talk to at least one person at the event. Then do it.

It's kind of like learning to ride a bike. All the thinking ahead of time doesn't do a bit of good. You just have to make a leap of faith, hop on, and hope for the best. Practice small talk again and again, and you'll get better at it.

Ask people about their other interests, and make it clear that you want to join that other activity. "You go rock climbing on Saturdays? I've always wanted to try that. How do I sign up for that?" Then meet one or two of the rock climbers and find out about their other interests.