Alex,
If you can play the piano, or at least have an idea of where the notes are on a keyboard, then I think you will find the minor scales a lot easier.
Just close your eyes and picture a keyboard and for the Harmonic Minors, just see the semitones coming between the 3rd and 4th degrees, 5th and 6th degrees and 7th and 8th.
For the melodic minors it is a simple case of the tonic major with a flattened 3rd ascending and according to the key signature descending.
ie: C Minor Harmonic:
C D Eb F G Ab B C
C Minor Melodic:
Ascending: C D Eb F G A B C
Descending: C Bb Ab G F Eb D C
Hope this helps in some way.