Fire Building 101, help this dummy!?

What is the best method for building a roaring, lasting fire in a freestanding, wood burning stove? Ours seems to die quite quickly, and leaves large hulks of unburned wood smoldering for hours, preventing adding fresh wood. The chimney and flue have been cleaned, so ventilation should not be the issue. There is a damper lever on the front of the unit, but do I leave it wide open? Or partly closed? Any and all help or advice is greatly appreciated!