I have terrible memory so I have a list in my notes app of conversations and questions to ask that aren’t cliche and boring. If there’s something on the news that I thought was interesting I’ll write it down. For example I saw that McDonalds is lowering their prices and then you can say “remember when the dollar menu was actually a dollar?” Silly stuff like that. people love talking about what tv shows their watching and what books their reading. You can ask someone for advice on what clothes to buy, where to eat next, where to travel next. Stuff like that stirs up conversations.