Two things I would suggest. First, in any region there is usually some preferred tinder and/or kindling. Knowing what it is can help a lot. For example, in the rainy Pacific NW, it helps if you can find an old cedar stump. The wood splits easily and is quick to burn. Talk to the locals and see what they recommend.

The main trick is to split your kindling VERY SMALL. You want it about toothpick diameter, or smaller. And you want a lot of it. Stack it carefully, close enough to keep the heat confined, but enough room for air to circulate. I find a teepee works well.

Then, as Ireckon suggests, a sustained flame applied to the base. Fan it carefully, and add more kindling slowly. Build it slowly, nursing it into a larger and larger fire. As it grows you can slowly add larger wood. Slightly larger matchstick sized, and eventually pencil sized. Again, you want a large stockpile before you start. Obviously, use the driest wood possible. Bark tends to hold moisture, strip it off your larger kindling.

Only when you have a really robust fire, you can add larger, damper wood. Above all, don't get in too big a hurry. Take your time, assemble way more kindling than you think you need, and build it slowly. Get a good fire going before adding bigger or damper wood. When I have a problem building a fire, it is almost always because I hurried too fast.