Muddling my way through process

First things first: This is by no means a how-to or "lesson." This is me rambling about story structure and process because I keep promising to show what I've been up to with my writing. If this navel-gazing brain picking can be of use or interest to anyone else so much the better.

Writers are always saying (paraphrased), "You never learn how to write books; you just learn how to write the one that is currently eating your brain and wringing out your soul."

I do believe there is truth in that, but I would like to nail down a basic process that will give me consistently good results, translate: that will give me a decent first draft that does not require me to start over fifty times before ever once typing "The End."

( Diagrams, plot cards, and links, OH MY! )

Fom here on out, though, apart from the time consuming "prewriting" of finalizing each scene and sequel, if I apply what I've learned to other works, I should be able to plot faster and, more importantly, better.