Hi seabeck, seeing as no-one has replied yet (Kirk may be sleeping off last night's gig) I'll jump in and reply. I don't think there are any set rules. Most people try a few different things and see what they like best. Many people have their right nails a bit longer than they otherwise might (if you are male) and use a bit of flesh and a bit of nail together.
There are also a couple of Threads on the site about nails, and you could do a 'Search' for them (the search function is towards the top of the page). I personally find plastic picks just 'get in the way' but if you try out a few things you'll see what you like best.
One good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain - Bob Marley