There is definitely a strategy to good surface modeling, and you will develop it with experience. Your intent is best to develop each surface in its own right, without too many interdependencies, even though that sounds counterintuitive. Surfaces extend into space and are then trimmed and blended. Advanced features and detailing comes at the end. The best tutorial I found so far is the one on modeling an Audi R8 by Dan Lavoie. Keep us updated with progress!
