HELP!! socially awkward extroverted person. HELP!

Hi there, so I'm posting about something that doesn't seem to be commonly talked about on the net.
So when I was young I used to be very shy and introverted. Shy, soft-spoken. This all meant that I was too scared to talk to people,. Growing up I saw some improvement. A few years later I read that in order to overcome it, I need to go out there and socialise and just keep talking to people.

All this was to fix my shyness/introversion/socially-awkwardness. By socially-awkward, I mean that I struggle to engage in conversations with people. Normally the good conversations I have is when I'm being asked questions about me; I assume because of the other person's curiosity. Yet when I need want to drive the conversation or even just talk about anything random, the conversation always seems to fall flat into an awkward period, note* period not moment. If I manage to bring the 'conversation' back to me then the conversation normally progresses. But I don't want to just talk about me all the time just to feel conversational; I want to be able to get into light conversation to topics that are more deep and meaningful; conversations that continue. I'm incredibly observant and I have watched carefully how others do it, I can't say there is a set formula and I have noticed that being one of the quiet ones means you can't engage in conversation. It seems to just be something natural that everyone has, except for me.. apparently.

It turns out that after a few years, I managed to become an incredibly extroverted and outgoing person. I enjoy being in other people's company. I don't have a problem with meeting people or with the possibility making friends. But I feel as if I'm still socially awkward; I am afraid that my lack of engagement skills will prevent me from making more meaningful relationships/friendships etc. I've always attributed my supposedly 'secretive' nature to being in the closet, but it's been over a year since I've been out and I can't say I've seen improvement. I'd like to think that I'm being myself,*I don't hide anything about myself*, but perhaps being in the closet throughout most of my adolescence still cages a part of me that engages with others on a general level. I don't know, these are the extreme conclusions I'm coming up with.
Could anyone spare some advice?