Fire Starting Challenged

[OakLeaf]

You can't just put one log on top or there's nothing to create a draw.

Make the pyramid before you even light it, not only with your kindling but also with some medium to large sized wood.

Doesn't have to be a teepee style pyramid, you can stack the wood loosely the same way you would in a woodpile. Little kindling sticks in the middle/bottom, then stuff crumpled newspaper and/or chunks of the waxed sawdust throughout. But make sure there are some cross patterns to allow air to draft through.

Don't add any wood until it's really going.

Your "big log" is split and cured, right? Bark, and the layer immediately inside the bark, don't burn well. (And make sure you're using locally harvested wood - emerald ash borers are spreading fast.)