1. Far enough to feel safe. Just keep your eyes on the parked cars, and look for telltale signs of a potential dooring (taillights on, a passenger getting out of the other side, lights turning off)
2. I stop well ahead of the car, so I'm sure they see me.
3. I typically don't want to die, so I watch what the driver is doing. If you make eye contact, they'll probably let you go first. If you don't make eye contact, they're not paying attention to what's in front of them - do you want to chance it?
4. It's not common. However, a lot of people are scared of cars hitting them from behind, which leads to salmoning (riding against traffic; in your case, riding on the right side of the street). Of course, all bets are off if the driver WANTS to hurt you.
5. Move so you're sure the other drivers see you. Be bold; take up the whole lane. Don't do anything stupid, though.
6. Practice. It's difficult, but it primarily takes muscle control. You'll develop those muscles.
And don't be worried about yelling or anything like that; it just means they saw you (and didn't like you). Be worried when they almost hit you and DON'T yell.