Okay, a small look into the process. I don't know how others do it, but do not write from start to finish; I figure out my top three or four dramatic plot points and write those first. I then do chapters to connect those. I find that once I get up to 70-75,000 words or more, I have a hard time judging pace and proportion of the book. I do better, then, to give each scene a name, put them on small cards, and lay them out on a table where I can move them around much easier than actually cutting and pasting blocks of copy.
It leaves my house looking a little weird at times. And my table is off-limits for food or guests. But it's an important point when I can really tell how close I am to finishing, and how many holes I have left to fill.