Hmm
I think in order to be really effective as a
slide guitarist you should be pretty fluid moving back and forth from fretted notes to slide, even fretting behind the slide.
I think if you have the slide on your pinky it is easiest, giving you three other fingers plus the thumb to work with.
Maybe the best way to start is with a simple fretted rhythm pattern, like a basic blues shuffle with bouncing bass notes and then adding slide accents
Kirks slide videos have plenty of good examples of combinations of fretted and sliding notes.
b.