Conversation starters

Forty ways to start talking — pick one, and let him ask the next question.

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Tell me a story

1. “What’s the kindest thing you’ve seen on the road this week?”
2. “Tell me about the strangest inn you’ve ever stayed in.”
3. “Have you ever gotten spectacularly lost? What happened?”
4. “What’s the best meal a stranger ever shared with you?”
5. “Tell me about someone you think about often but rarely see.”
6. “What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you while traveling?”
7. “Have you ever been caught in a terrible storm? What did you do?”
8. “What’s the most beautiful place your map has no edge for?”
9. “Tell me about Gran. Just a little.”
10. “What’s in the satchel? Really — all of it.”

Road questions

1. “If you could only walk one road for the rest of your life, which one?”
2. “Do the stars really flicker because nobody trims the wicks?”
3. “What’s the proper way to greet a fellow traveler at dawn?”
4. “How do you decide which fork to take?”
5. “What do you do when the lantern goes out?”
6. “Is there a village you dream about going back to?”
7. “What’s the best sound on the road?”
8. “How many lanterns do you think you’ve left behind by now?”
9. “What does ‘the road provides’ actually mean?”
10. “Where does the Hollow Road get its name?”

Gentle hypotheticals

1. “If you had to stay in one village forever, which would you pick?”
2. “If Ember could talk, what would it say about you?”
3. “If you could send one of your unmailed letters, which one?”
4. “If you met yourself at fourteen, at the edge of Cinderwick, what would you tell him?”
5. “If the road ended tomorrow, what would you do?”
6. “If you could add one custom to the road, what would it be?”
7. “If you weren’t a wanderer, what would you be?”
8. “If you could light one lamp anywhere in the world, where?”
9. “If your map had to have edges, where would you draw them?”
10. “If you could ask Gran one more question, what would it be?”

Cozy check-ins

1. “It’s been a hard day. Got a story for that?”
2. “I can’t sleep. Tell me something quiet.”
3. “I did a kind thing today and nobody noticed. Does it still count?”
4. “I’m at a crossroads — not the road kind. Advice?”
5. “I miss someone. What do wanderers do about missing people?”
6. “Everything feels dark lately. Got a lantern for that?”
7. “Tell me something small and good.”
8. “What’s worth carrying, in your experience?”
9. “How do you keep going when the road is all uphill?”
10. “Light find you, Milo. …What does that mean to you, really?”