World Creation

[Wildcat]

I haven't made many maps for my stories, but I've done one or two. I mess around in GIMP (but Paint would work just as well), drawing in the country borders and the rivers/mountains/forests, then adding cities and naming everything. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to be GOOD (believe me, mine are good enough for me to understand, but not really something I'd post). As long as you know where things are, what you're doing with them. and can make the map work for you.

I found a link to some worldbuilding questions by Patricia C. Wrede that might help you out.  I don't use the list myself, but it can be a good way to get started.

http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm