This might seem trivial, but what is the correct way to twist 3 or more wires with a wire nut? I just got finished with a ceiling box that had 3 12 gauge wires in each nut. I was working overhead , using a flashlight, and hanging on to a light fixture and it literally took me an hour because one wire would always seem to slip out.

I stripped each of the wires about 1/2 inch and then tried to twist on the nut. The wires were somewhat twisted from before and I tried to straighten them and then twist them together.

Should I be twisting them together with a wiring plier before putting on the nut, or just twisting the nut on? Any hints would be much appreciated.
Stevo