Not alone with paper burning problems

I have a wood burning stove. I have it on this evening. It took 2 goes to get it going, the first time the newspaper burnt but nothing caught. At least it was better than one evening last week when it took me ages and try after try to get the fire going, and it only got going enough to start heating up the stove when I was off to get ready for bed! There is the occasional evening where I have problems getting even the paper to burn. Went for a walk with friends yesterday, one of whom, Tina, also has a wood burning stove. Pleased to learn that sometimes she has the same problem! However, I am glad I've got it. I have been slowly (not wanting to upset my back) sawing up a pallet that was dumped by the church up the road. My kindling is twigs, either from the birch trees up the street outside, or fallen from my neighbour's ash tree, or cuttings from my neighbour's shrubs which he drops over the fence for me. This satisfies my inner hunter-gatherer!