As the tinder starts to glow, there will be more smoke, but it won't flame yet. Getting the tinder to burst into flame is the next step. A very thin piece of birchbark held in the midst of glowing tinder works for me. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I first did this. After many years of knowing it was possible, I was shown and was successful.
Experiment Try different kinds of tinder.
This is the challenge. All must be bone dry and very fine . Shredded inner cedar bark works well, but that isn't available in most of Alaska except Southeast. Experiment with different materials in your area. Jute cord from a garden shop has worked for us.