It totally depends on what kind of vibe the other person is giving off, what they say/tone and how I feel in that particular moment. If I am stuck inside my head thinking about something, I might not be as 'engaging'. If I am totally in the moment and the environment makes me feel comfortable, I am actually very chirpy and tend to joke around a lot. Some people are very talkative and give off a vibe of liking to talk and to joke around. Some people are more reserved in their vibe and it's hard to figure out what to say to them, if anything.
The most awkward thing is to be all chirpy on your end but receive nothing back ... so awkward. I like to avoid that. I usually give as much as I am given. I have gotten better with small talk with age/experience. I still feel very socially awkward most of the time, haha. But if people are very friendly to me, I am very friendly back, that's not hard. Whereas other people toss sentences out without waiting to see how it is perceived, I wait and test the waters. When I toss words out, I want it to be appreciated/acknowledged/understood. Sometimes I am blunt and can say the wrong thing, esp. if I am feeling giddy, then I don't filter what I say.