Part of the appeal of random chatting is that you never quite know what to expect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a little planning ahead. You could rely on spur-of-the-moment inspiration to keep your chats going, but that isn’t always a solid plan. Besides, why settle for average when you could have something better?

Take Camsurf, for example – a solid option for a random video chat app with thousands of members from all over the world. On a site like this, you have all the flexibility you need to shake things up in each chat. If you feel like sticking with a chill conversation, that’s fine – but you certainly don’t have to! You could also come up with competitions, suggest debates, sharpen your linguistic skills, and more.

Why would this work? It’s all thanks to the unique format of random video chats.

Video chat sites are a few places where you can approach strangers and be fairly confident of a positive response. Sure, you won’t end up chatting with every person you match with, but that’s just because you weren’t what the other chatter was looking for. By and large, though, any random chat site will have thousands of strangers who would be happy to engage with you for a while.

Contrast that to how it would happen in person. In most cases, any attempt at starting a conversation fizzles out as quickly as a wet firecracker, and you’re left wondering if you said something weird. People don’t expect to interact with strangers except at a very superficial level, and if you attempt to go beyond that, it probably won’t work.

Since random chats give you a chance to talk to strangers who are already interested in chatting with you, could you take advantage of it? Don’t just stick with whatever pops into your head as each new chat loads; think of a few ideas that will be engaging for both you and your chat partners.

That sounds like a pretty tall order; are there any practical suggestions that could make this happen?

Consider this your starter pack. Use the ideas below as blueprints, or take them as inspiration when you branch out.

1. See who’s online in the middle of the night.

Many random chat sites like to mention their international user base, which is a legitimate brag, but what they don’t tell you is that a lot of those users will probably be asleep whenever you’re online. You’re in one time zone, they’re in another, and never the twain shall meet – unless you decide to stay up late (or get up early) once in a while to see who you run into. If you’re interested in learning about other cultures, this is a great way to do it.

2. Look for what you know you want.

A random chat site’s algorithm will supply you with seemingly infinite matches, but sometimes they won’t be compatible – that’s how it works. If you want to narrow down your matches, here are two ways to make it happen.

The first way is to use specific filters. If your chat site of choice offers filters, they’ll probably have at least a gender or a location filter, and these are both great starting points. Gender filters make it easy for you to do a bit of online flirting, while location filters are more versatile.

One popular use for a location or country filters is to find native speakers of various languages. This is pretty handy if you’re picking up a second language, but it’s also a window into another culture. Take regional slang, for instance. How many sayings can you think of that are directly tied to the place you’re living in? When you trade phrases, puns, and tongue twisters with people from different countries, you aren’t just learning something that’ll impress your friends; you’re also getting a peek into a whole different culture.

The second way is to go backward. Rather than searching for a particular kind of chat partner, organize your chats around a specific topic. Start each new conversation by checking whether your chat partner wants to discuss your chosen topic, and keep searching until you’ve found someone interested in whatever you’re hoping to chat about.

This approach could serve more than one purpose. Maybe you want to discuss your latest hobby, so you’ve decided to find a chat partner who’s already an expert. Or, you’re thinking about getting a new dog, but you want to talk with someone who’s had first-hand experience with certain breeds.

Maybe you bit off more than you can chew when you volunteered to bring a dessert to the next family gathering, and now you need all the help you can get. It can take a little longer to find the right chat partner with this approach, but it’s usually worth the effort.

3. Think of something to debate

As you’re coming up with topics, try to avoid anything that could lead to a full-fledged argument; things like religion or politics can be pretty inflammatory, for example. Instead, go for something more entertaining, like “dogs vs cats” or “is pineapple on pizza that bad.” Find a cheese purist and convince them that Velveeta is a legitimate option for cheese boards. Whether you’re joking or you’re serious, you could both get a kick out of it.

4. Have a singing competition

Even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, you and your chat partners can still have plenty of laughs during a mock singing competition. It’s pretty easy to find instrumental versions of popular songs, and you can even enlist some roommates, friends, or siblings if you need someone to judge your respective talents.

Let your imagination run wild!

Remember, if one of your more daring ideas doesn’t go as planned, you can start over in a new chat with a single click. What are you waiting for? It’s time to get creative and see what happens!