You could start with http://indiewebcamp.com/Getting_Started_on_WordPress which will walk you through most of the process. You should start with the Webmention Plugin and Semantic Linkbacks to send/receive webmention support and to help comments look better respectively. Brid.gy connects your blog to responses from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, et al.

Keep in mind that some of the other plugins you'll run across may have small bugs or quirks as they're being actively developed. Most of the plugins in the WordPress.org repository are usually more stable than some you'll run across on GitHub, but those also are dated in terms of development work, so you'll have a better idea how current they are. You can usually find one or more of us via IRC, or in social media if you need help.