Passions

• Everyone has topics that fill them with joy and cause them to speak with more excitement and animation. In some cases, the girl may pursue them as a hobby, or even incorporate them into part of her job. Whatever it is, set out to find it when you engage the girl in conversation. Ask questions about her interests and listen to her when she responds. Ideally, find some passion that you both share, or at least something you'd be interested in learning more about. From there, you can explore the subject more deeply and branch the conversation out into similar topics.
  
  

Career

• Not every girl has her dream job, but careers and work can still be a fruitful topic of conversation. You may need to tread with care to avoid certain pitfalls (lousy bosses, unpleasant tasks, etc.). Instead, ask her about her aspirations, what she hopes to accomplish in her career, and what she's trying to build toward. If she's still in school, ask her about her field of study and what she hopes to do with it once she graduates. Let her talk about particular projects she's engaged in and how she goes about accomplishing them. Work takes up a huge portion of our waking lives, and a girl who's interested in hers may have some fascinating things to say about it.
  
  

Music, Movies and More

• Current events constitute another minefield, especially early in the relationship. Stay away from political topics or those that inflame emotions. Rather than risk an argument, stick to more congenial topics like movies or television. Ask her about her favorite shows or what kind of music she likes. Generally speaking, it pays to look for quirkier or more obscure bits of pop culture that may interest her. For example, ask her about movies she loved when she was young, or books that inspired her in school. Find out if she listens to older music, or if she has some hidden cult classic that she really enjoys. It will tell you a lot more about her as an individual than whatever the pop-culture flavor of the month happens to be.