When i draw i draw in shapes. That way I know what my character is going to look like. If you jump right into the details it wont look right. Always start with the structure or bones of the character, feel it out, get to know the character, then you can smooth it out and give it skin, scales, feathers, etc. it is your creation so make sure that the bones are in the right spot and the muscles are as well.
I know i have a very long way to go before even getting to where I want to be but i do try. I have a few books and reference them once in a while. I normally reference google but omg be carefull what you type in there, you might have your eyes melt out of their sockets x..x