Creating a map is easy. Here are the basic steps:

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Click My Maps > Create new map.
3. Add a title and description for your map. You can make your map public or unlisted.
4. Use the icons in the the top right corner of the map. These include:
5. 
   Selection tool. Use this to drag the map and select placemarks, lines, and shapes.
   Placemark tool. Use this to add placemarks.
   Line tool. Use this to draw lines.
   Shape tool. Use this to draw shapes.
   

You can return to your map at any time. Just go to Google Maps and click My Maps. Sign into your Google Account and select the map from your list of maps.

Adding and Editing Placemarks

To add a placemark to your map:

1. Create or open a map.
2. Click . Your cursor changes into a placemark icon with an "X" crosshairs. The crosshairs indicate where the placemark will fall.
   
   
   
3. Move the cursor to the appropriate location. If you want to dismiss this placemark, press the Escape key.
4. Click your mouse button to place your placemark. It should bounce into place.
5. Add a title and description.
6. You can also change the icon for your placemark by clicking the icon in the top right corner of the info window.
7. Click OK to save your placemark.

To move or edit a placemark:

1. To move any placemark on your map, drag and drop it to the new location. Note that you can only edit or move placemarks on your maps, not others.
2. To edit a placemark's title or description, click on it to open the info window. Edit the title and description and click OK.

Adding and Editing Lines

To add a line to your map:

1. Create or open a map.
2. Click . Your cursor appears like this:
   
   
   
3. Move the cursor to the appropriate location and click to start the line. If you want to dismiss this line, press the Escape key.
4. Click your mouse button at each point of your line.
5. To finish drawing your line, double click the last end point.
6. Add a title and description.
7. You can also change the color, opacity and width of your line by clicking the color swatch in the top right corner of the info window.
8. Click OK to save your line.

To edit a line:

1. To move a line on your map, mouse over the line to make the end points appear. Click and drag the points to move them.
2. To delete a point from your line, right-click on the point and select Delete from the context menu.
3. To add a point to your line, you can either click on one of the semi-transparent points, or right-click on the line and select Add a point from the context menu.
4. To edit a line's title or description, click on it to open the info window. Edit the title and description and click OK.

Sharing Maps

Once you have created a map, you can share it with others. To do this:

1. Open the map you want to share.
2. Click Link to this page in the top right corner of the orange title bar. This will put the map's URL in your browser navigation bar.
3. You can share this URL with your friends by sending it in an email or posting it on your blog or website.
4. You can also click the Email link in the top right corner of the orange title bar to open your default email client with the map URL in the email body.