@HailstormChessPlayer , I'm flattered to be asked for advice by somebody as apparently at ease and conversational as you are in the forum. I doubt that I can say much that's helpful, but I'll try:
The trick to keeping conversation going is to remember what most people love most to talk about: themselves.
When I'm in a room full of strangers, I can ask them a question about how they came to be in the room -- are they old friends of the host? Did they parachute down the chimney? Okay, nothing about parachutes -- I lied about that.
But you get the idea. Start people talking about themselves and then -- keep it up.
Not prying questions. Don't ask them for their social security number or birthday. Or if they're kinky. Keep it mild.
But actually listen. Actually care about what you're hearing. Because that's hard to fake and nobody should want to fake anyway. But listening to their answers will make new questions naturally occur to you.
You have to talk about yourself a bit, too. But I've found that I'm happy if I talk about myself less than a third of the time and the other person -- or more general topics -- the other two thirds. And I'm pretty comfortable "working a room."
In any event, mostly paying attention to others and then reacting with gentle, non-controversial humor, tends to keep conversations alive.
I try NOT to talk about politics. Because people have become a bit, uh, unsettled about that.
By the way, this same technique worked fine when I was out there hunting for dates in my youth. The opposite sex are ... people, too. And genuine interest in somebody often generates appreciation for the person showing the interest.
