Here's a couple of my tricks for this sort of thing:

1. Get a loose electrical clamp with a 1" jaw opening similar to what they offer on small battery chargers. Pull the plastic sleeve off one of the handles and use a hose clamp to secure a spare spark plug by its threads. Now you've got a safe one-man spark tester. Clip it onto any good ground and connect the spark plug or coil wire to the spark plug connection. By opening the gap in the plug to about .040" you'll really tell if your spark is up to snuff or not.

2. Get a remote starter button. I like my Snap-on unit for its good quality clips, leads, and button, but any one from NAPA or Autozone will do the same thing. Allways remember to take car out of gear before using this. It clips between battery positive and the solenoid terminal on the starter. If you're checking spark or actually trying to start, don't forget to turn key to ON.

If you've cranked for a while w/o start, be sure to check plugs for wetness (flooded condition)or excess blackness (if dry black -carbs are too rich, if oily black -there is an oil seal or ring problem).

Good luck!
Al