Are you combining WILD with WBTB? You need to figure out when your REM period is about to start and set your alarm for just before that (5ish hours) till you figure it out. Otherwise drink alot of water and you should wake up at the proper period as well. Don't focus too much attention on thinking and keeping your mind busy (that works better in DILD I noticed before sleeping 10 min or so) as that will keep you awake and stop you from entering the later WILD stages.

Once the HI becomes more dominant and the dreamscape starts to form and stabilize is when you should try to mould it to your liking imo. The imagery should guide you right into a dream. Then you should try exerting things like passive/active control to get the events you like to occur.