Hi Ray,
First, some expectation management: Scrivener is software that supports writing of long form works, You can happily use it to write novels, but it is not dedicated to novel writing. My sense is that perhaps you are used to software that provides guidance and specific tools focused on novel writing. Scrivener provides very little hand holding – maybe that’s where the disconnect is.
Here is a very stripped down overview of writing a novel, using Scrivener’s basic functions. I am purposefully leaving out many functions and features, to focus only on the basics required to write a novel. Read the whole thing through a couple of times before actually doing anything!
First thing is to create a New Project. From the New Project screen:
→ Select the project template. If your novel will be structured as a list of Chapters (your Table of Contents will not be broken into Acts or Parts), then choose the template Fiction > Novel.
→ Specify the project name in the Save As field
→ Specify Where (what folder) you want to store the project. Be sure to remember Where you put it!
If you chose the Novel template, the Manuscript section of the new Scrivener project will initially be organized like this:
MANUSCRIPT
- Chapter
++ Scene
The Manuscript section is where your novel will live. If you are the type of writer who creates an outline in advance (a Plotter), then develop your outline by Adding new Folders (Chapters) and empty Texts (Scenes), and renaming the Chapters and Scenes as necessary. So you might end up with:
MANUSCRIPT
- Chapter One
++ Harry and Sally meet cute
++ Harry tells Fred he likes Sally
++ Sally tells Wilma that Harry is a pig
…
… - Chapter Twelve
++ Fred sells his body for weapons
++ Harry and Sally evade zombies
…
… - Chapter Twenty-Two
++ Sally reflects on Harry’s death while she nurses her newborn son
One of the strengths of Scrivener is that you can develop your outline this way before you write a word of text. You can use the Cordboard or Outliner views as alternative means of visualizing the novel’s structure.
When you are ready to start writing, another strength of Scrivener is that you can write the scenes in whatever order you are inspired to. Simply select a scene and start writing it.
If you are the type of writer who disdains outlines and discovers the novel by writing it (a Pantser), then select the first scene and start writing. When you are done with the first scene, rename it if you like, then add a new empty Text (Scene) underneath the first scene, and start writing your second scene. Add new Folders (Chapters) as needed. And so on.
If your novel will be composed of Acts or Parts, then when you create the new project, choose the template Fiction > Novel (with Parts). The new project’s Manuscript will be organized like this:
MANUSCRIPT
Part
- Chapter
++ Scene
++ Scene - Chapter
++ Scene
Part - Chapter
++ Scene
A Plotter would then modify the default structure and create an outline. In this particular example novel, the “Parts” are Acts.
MANUSCRIPT
Act One
- Chapter One
++ Harry and Sally meet cute
++ Harry tells Fred he likes Sally
++ Sally tells Wilma that Harry is a pig
…
…
Act Two
…
… - Chapter Twelve
++ Fred sells his body for weapons
++ Harry and Sally evade zombies
…
…
Act Three
…
… - Chapter Twenty-Two
++ Sally reflects on Harry’s death while she nurses her newborn son
The thing to remember about Parts/Chapters (Folders) and Scenes (Texts) is that they can be reorganized in the Binder, similar to how you would move files and folders around in Windows Explorer. So you can change your structure after the fact. You can insert or remove or move items as needed.
Once you are in the writing process and have drafted scenes, another Scrivener strength is the Scrivenings view. Scrivenings will consolidate all of the scenes of your novel. This is a “virtual” consolidation – your novel’s structure is not changed – but it provides a way to read how well your work flows, and edit in context.
If you are the sort of writer who likes to develop sketches of Characters or Places, then Scrivener’s Novel project templates include templates for these. To create a Character sketch, click on the Characters folder in the Binder, then press the Add Item pulldown, select New From Template > Character Sketch. This will create an empty Character Sketch doc within the Characters folder in the Binder. Rename the new doc to “Harry” and write his character sketch by filling in the blanks. You can do the same thing for Places. If you want to customize the Characters or Places templates for your particular workflow, the templates are located within the Template Sheets folder. Any changes you make there will be applied to all new Character or Place sketches.
If you like to develop story notes or research to support your writing process, then create folders and documents within the Research folder for that. Items in the Research folder are not considered part of your Manuscript.
Ray, the steps I’ve listed above are only one way to use Scrivener for writing a novel. Every novelist that uses Scrivener will have their own unique approach on how to best use it to support their writing process. But the above should get you started. The idea is to first get a grip on the basics, and then move on to more advanced features as you need to.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask. The more specific your question, the more likely you’ll get a helpful answer. 
Hope that helps,
Jim