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The easiest way to start improvising is just to start. Try writing, try playing with other people (guitarists usually, but bassists are ideal as they don't tend to be prima donnas) and along with other peoples ideas. Don't worry about fucking things up either, the path to the right note can have as many wrongs notes in it as you want. Listen to Thelonious Monk - he's a genius and proves the last point. Try playing along with a drum machine. Listen to the first Ben Folds Five album. Don't strive to write a masterpiece, well not yet anyway.
I used to knock out trad-jazz with a sax playing mate when I was getting into improvising. Don't care too much for most of the music we were playing, but you've got to get your fingers wet. Played in a few bands as well and realised that most guitarists have a library of about 10 chords, that they can play in (at most) three positions. Hence - if you can play in E, A, C, D or G you'll be able to jam with guitarists. ALso, if you find guitarists who can't play keyboard, they'll be easily impressed by anything you do.
If you've been playing for a while you'll have a good grasp of chords and where they come from you'll be able to improvise. Go to a keyboard right now and knock out a Dm7 chord (DFAC or FACD or ACDF) with your left hand and play a D with your right. Do whatever you feel like with your righthand for a few bars and end on D. Stick to the white notes and nothing will go wrong - which is why you've got put some black notes in there every now and then.
Then play a G7 chord with yyour left and mess about with your right hand for a while.
Then play a C chord.....
2:5:1 in the scale of C major.
Please don't become Jamie Cullum though.
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