As a shy or introverted person, it is always extra work to start conversations with people you want to get to know better. It can be tough not knowing what to say or knowing how to start a conversation but don’t worry too much, I am here to help you. 

The first  step is to observe where the person's interests lie. It can be food, music, content creation, writing, reality shows. However, it can be dicey to navigate if you are unfamiliar with this person.   

No matter how dicey it is, in all you do, avoid asking the person, "tell me about yourself." That is probably one of the wackiest ways to put someone on the spot and it may not work out how you want it to. Even if it does work for you, it is a sentence that can be avoided. Stop being cliché today, okay?

Since you've read to this point, I'll bless you with certain conversation starters you can use for different topics. Keep reading.

Music

Everybody listens to music and so, this is a safe place to start from. You can ask: 

1. What was the last song you listened to?

2. What album do you see as your all-time fave?

3. Are you a specific genre music listener or do you listen to any music as long as it sounds good?

4. If you were in charge of the playlist, what song would you play next?

5. What song have you listened to so much that the artist's probably got a mouth ache? 

And for the fans of the Stranger Things series, you can ask:

6. If Vecna has you in a trance, what song do you guarantee would pull you out of it?

I can assure you that this particular topic can direct you to a great conversation as you can discuss your love for music and the series as well. 

Books/Reading

1. What is your current read?

2. What books are your favourites? (This is just because no one can answer "what is your favorite book of all time?" question. I said what I said.)

3. Do you listen to any bookish podcasts?

4. What book is your last purchase?

5. Has reading a book inspired you to try something new and what is it?

Movies

1. Which actor would you love to see act you in a movie about your life?

2. Is there a movie you have watched over 5 times from beginning to end?

3. What movie would you recommend?

4. Which movie couple do you adore?

5. What ending would you rewrite if given the chance and what would you want the ending to be like?

Life/General Questions

You can ask these questions if you are just meeting the person, maybe at an event, and you are looking for an icebreaker.

1. Do you know a lot of people here?

2. What do you like to do for fun?

3. If you weren't here, what would you be doing?

4. Is there something you wish you were good at?

5. What is the worst piece of advice you've ever gotten?

6. What weird conspiracy theory do you believe?

7. Who is your favourite comedian?

8. Have you ever lived anywhere else?

9. Tell me about one thing on your bucket list.

10. What's your favourite social media app?

11. What's your favourite place to hang out?

12. What did you notice first about me?

13. Where is your favourite vacation spot?

14. What made you laugh today?

15. What food do you hate?

I'm quite certain that at least one of these questions will be helpful for you in starting a conversation, whether online or offline. Have fun with them!