Take your time with it and do a little every day. I think you'll see results over time. Some of my posts don't earn much at all (most of them are around $1) but I never know which ones are going to attract a whale vote.

Actually I seem to have the most success when I start leaving a comment on someone's post, realize I've got too much to say, and then turn it into a post of my own. I always make it a point to link back to the post that inspired me. This way I get to interact with the material I find most fascinating *and* write what I'm passionate about. I don't fully understand why, but "the system" seems to respond to it.