What kind of solos do you want to play? You say you're stuck with pentatonic scales, but the riffs you're coming up with aren't all pentatonic, I'm assuming?
Do you know what mode your riffs are in? You don't need to know the official name, but do you know which notes are part of it? Most style of music have guitar solos, that are just more complex melodies, in the same mode. If you want the solo to sound really different, make its root a different note, on your scale. That can give you a whole new sound. But if you choose to have the same root, just make it a more over the top version of the main riff. Try out different licks, by using the same scale, but putting licks in different places.
The melody can go crazy, up, or down, the fretboard. Or, it can be a simple melody. You can add ligatures(hammer on, pull off), bends, vibrato, whammy bar. Just make sure these accents are in the right place, so the whole thing sounds good. Put delay on it, or wah, or some other effect, see how it sounds.
If you want to use chromatic notes, you can. Just ask yourself whether it sounds good. If you want to shred, teach yourself the basics first. Shredder guitarists have skills you don't have. But the way to develop those skills, and to make shredding sound good, is to teach yourself how to make solos that sound good.
_________________ The only “-isms” you need, are individualism, and GISM. I like Slayer solos
With my weed, I smoke every day If I'm not high, the hate will escape I smoke and smoke, stoned as a fuck Weed is my life, weed is my love… -John Gallagher
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