OT techie question...I need help

Sorry to break transmission and I won't bore you with all the reasons, but I need to make an animated gif and as I tend not to like them over much I've never really paid much attention to the making of 'em. Karma, right?

So I got my little flash movie going, but when I save it out as a gif the quality is shockingly bad. Stonkingly awful. Depressingly dire.

So how do you make those lovely animated gifs, with that really nice image quality? You know, those gifs you do that you do so well.

I'd appreciate any help I can get. Sending me off to how to sites is cool, you don't have to hold my hand too much.

Ta.

Ps. Back on topic, I caught two Merlin ads on telly last night. It's starting 3rd May. Squee.