There's a really cool thing that's been going on the last few months, which is that every two weeks on a Thursday, Novastorme posts a writing prompt, and whoever feels like it responds with a short scene. (I've been hitting about 1.5-2 pages, nothing huge; nothing I can't bang out in a couple of hours, and I'm slow.) It doesn't have to be about the PPC (Nova has made a point of making the prompts open enough for any setting), it's pretty informal, and it's a great way to develop characters and get some feedback. I'd recommend jumping in there.

It is polite to comment on other people's prompt pieces, especially if they comment on yours, but you shouldn't have to read any missions or backstories to be able to follow little one-shot character vignettes. Not saying it wouldn't help, of course, but it shouldn't be necessary. And hey, maybe reading some very short works will introduce you to some characters you like enough to follow in their spin-off, and you can get to know the PPC better that way. Each spin-off is pretty self-contained, so there's really no wrong place to start. There's a saying in comics: "Every issue is someone's first." I figure that can go for PPC stories, too.

If even that seems like too much, I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know what in your life is holding you back, but like anything else, you're only going to get out of the PPC community what you're willing and able to put into it. At some point, you gotta make an effort.

~Neshomeh