Can anyone tell me how can I practice my speaking skills efficiently ? I want to talk about many topics but I can't think of how to speak correctly. I watched many podcasts and videos for conversations but when I talk to a real person I can't talk much and can't think of anything .

I've been using my genkō yōshi book for a while in practicing writing. my wife bought me a Midori notebook yesterday with grid lined paper. I was wondering how they should be used. the squares are only 5mm x 5mm. Am I supposed to use only one kanji per square? Or could I use a 2x2? it would seem rat ...