you have to ask them a lot of viewpoint questions, things that they can't answer with a "yes" or "no".. basically, you have to interview them to get a conversation going also you could accuse them of some terrible thing and then at least they will defend themself and you will learn how they react when they are telling the truth

I've been trying to figure out how to get mine to stop talking because she never has anything to say.

I fell in love with the sound of my hubby's voice, I used to fall asleep listening to him talk... Anyway, something more helpful: what does s/he like, what are his/her interests? You may have to read up on some things but most people will talk their favorite subject to death. Once you get people talking about something and they feel more comfortable it's usually pretty easy to try other topics. Maybe you'll find a new interest in corvettes or needlepoint, who knows! If this is really bothering you then I would suggest talking with a counselor, even by yourself, to come to terms with this characteristic of your partner or help them open up.

Some people naturally "chat" while others only talk when they see a purpose or they want to solve something. I had a partner who complained that I waffled on about nothing (when I was talking about my feelings/thoughts about something) and he seemed (to me) to be self-absorbed and silent until he wanted something to be done or in direct reply. What I eventually realised however, was that he " chatted" when HE wanted to and to whom he wanted; but just didn't bother when it was my need not his. This mismatch might not be significant or it could be a disastrous mismatch of personalities. You need to explain how his lack of conversation affects you and make him realise that communication is important for your happiness as a couple. There are other ways you can communicate but you need to both work on them and not let resentful undercurrents ruin your marriage. There are always other people you can talk to of course but if you feel you're not being listened to or that you can not sharing your lives, hopes and dreams in a way you want to, you should give serious thought to whether you are with the right person. It depends how much it affects you.