Gnome Examples

[UserCx@aol.com]

Anybody here is familiar with writing Gnome applications ? 
I want to use gnome but other than www.gnome.org where there
is not much on examples on how to use or compile gnome.

I just need pointers to how I can start writing applications.
 I am not sure I am up to download the sources to gnome and build them
unless there is no other way.

I installed the gnome-core and gnome-libs, gtk+, imlib, gnome-libs-devel
rpms from RedHat 5.1. 

Do I have to have Orbit  and anything else along with it ? 
And then what do I do ?

TIA
sandipan