Hi Lisa, it does sound like your sourdough starter is a little too thick, so try to cut back on the amount of flour you're feeding it. Look for the consistency of an easily stirrable paste right after feeding. As the starter begins to ferment, it will become more like a thick pancake batter as it rises, with bubbles throughout. I would also recommend covering your container well with plastic wrap or a lid rather than a towel. The reason we say to "cover loosely" isn't because a sourdough starter needs airflow to ferment properly (it doesn't), but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. Plastic wrap will flex, and as long as your jar has some head room above the starter for the gases to collect, and you open it now and then to vent the gases, this shouldn't be an issue. Better to keep your starter nice and moist in order to see proper expansion when it occurs. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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