Sometimes you're talking to a girl you like, you're making her laugh, and your touching her lots, but it still just seems too 'friendly', to the point that you know that if you just went for the kiss, she'd turn her head and it'd be awkward.

I think what is maybe missing is some sort of verbal escalation?

However, i'm weary of showering girls with compliments.

Do people have almost 'routines'? Basically stock subjects they force into the conversation at a certain point to help show your interest in her, or at least talk about a subject that could potentially turn sexual or give you an opportunity to flirt heavily (verbally)

I've seen people talk about this. One person recommended always having some 'canned' material, whereby yo ask her about her dating life, or maybe tell a slightly sexual story.

Another guy said he always tells the girl about the shower he took that morning, and then tries to get sexual from that conversation!

I kind of don't much like the idea of 'routines' much, but I guess they are kind of necessary? Otherwise we'd just be doing 'small talk' all night, decreasing the chances of a more heated chat?

Basically, i'm asking if this is something seddit agree with? And is it necessary to verbally escalate?

I kinf of instinctively feel that it IS, although I also read a lot of things here about how you should only escalate with your touch/body language, but often when I do that, I often either feel like i've missed a step and made her feel awkward, or it just doesn't work. Like, she never 'bites'/gives me any clue that she's even aware that I 'like' her