Hello to you who actually read these newbie posts.

I once read a book that's main character was a lovely girl named Onna whose imagination got her into all sorts of trouble and at the moment I feel a lot like that girl. So what better name to give myself to use during this endeavor than Onna. I'm an almost thirty year old writer who has lost control of her imagination, in fact it's taken my life and computer hostage...much to the dismay of my family and pets. The wild thing is now making demands for a map of it's newest world, which has me at my wits end.

My imagination refuses to let me go further in my writing before it can see it's world laid out and of course all my talents lay in writing. In the words of a old friend of mine I create art with pen, not with a brush. Sadly my imagination doesn't care a wit about my failings in the more visually pleasing arts and is holding my story ransom until it's demand is met. While I might not be the wisest person my imagination could have chosen to demand a map from it is probably for the best, as I'm sure any one with a skill for map making would detest being kidnapped and held hostage by an insane woman that does the bidding of her imagination. At least I get a twisted enjoyment out of being bossed around by my imagination.

So here I find myself. Hoping I will be able to learn enough from people with true skill to be able make a decent map that my imagination will accept and allow me to get back to what I'm good at.

What programs do I have?

GIMP 2
BLENDER
Photoshop
AutoReam

Do I know how to use them?

No. I've tried them but everything I manage to create leaves me in one of two ways 1) With my head turning from side to side wondering how I ended up with the mess on my screen when I followed the tutorial directions. 2) Nit picking what I've made to the point I feel as if I've failed again and shutting the program down.

So here I am, looking for any advice you kind people can give a poor troubled writer whose being held captive by her own imagination, it would be greatly appreciated.