Do try the toothpicks! Someone suggested them to me when I first started building and it really made things easier. I kept messing up my coils moving them up, then down and back again trying to get the right height. When I would put them in the juice channels, before I took them out I would slide them back towards the center to make sure I had them clear. There are lots of people on here who know all kinds of simple tricks that can take some of the frustration out for you.
Just keep in mind that if you get too many dry hits in a row, you have probably burned your wick in two and won't get juice into the coil anymore.