how to design cross stitch patterns

[Margaret March]

I've been drawing and painting for most of my life and I love cross
stitch...been looking for special patterns in the fantasy/wiccan genre and
have found a few I like but I think there could be more....I am now
thinking about the possibility of my designing my own patterns but I have
never done it before. I know I could draw my pictures but transferring
them to a graph and selecting the floss colors is something I am totally
unfamiliar with. Can anyone direct me to a website or a book or someone
who designs where I can get some information on the how-to's of designing
patterns? I think I could design some nice things and I think there could
be a market for them...hell, who cares about the market, I'd just be
delighted to see other people liking my designs and see them stitched!!!
Anxiously awaiting any and all assistance....
Happy stitching...
Margaret

P.S., stitching Young Man's Fancy...doing well until I noticed part of the
pattern I stitched didn't match up!!! Grrrr....had to cut and remove a
small section of my stitching and in the process of fixing the
mistake...can't complain though, it's been going very easy up till now!!!