strange text cursor

Phil, I had the exact same problem. I copied all the text and pasted it into a new document, and that solved the problem.

I have no idea what I did to change the cursor, but I think I did SOMETHING unintentionally.  Like you, it only seemed to affect that one page.  But the new doc is fine... Just continued working where I left off....

It sounds like, rather than placing text in a text frame, you've placed it in a graphic.

Try this:

1. Save the file. This keeps you from doing more damage than you can easily fix.
2. Get your Arrow/Selection Tool and click on the "frame."
3. See if it now has 8 anchor points surrounding it (4 corners, and the center of the 4 lines between the corners) instead of the windowshade you get with placed text frames. If it does, you've broken the text out of your threaded text frame and placed it inside a graphic/graphic frame.
4. Now, with it selected, move your cursor inside the frame. If you can't select the content/text, keep the "frame" selected, get your Text Tool and put your cursor inside. If you can select the text with either option in this step, you've placed text inside a graphic element.

If this is the case, how do you fix it? Because it's likely broken out like a sidebar, rather than part of the original thread of continuous text you intended.

1. Select all the text in the frame and cut it using the Edit>Cut menu command.
2. Now get your Selection Tool and click on the graphic/graphic frame. Delete it. Don't cut it, or you'll replace the text you need with your graphic/graphic frame. If you make this mistake, this is where saving the file before you started this will save you. All you'll need to do is select the Edit>Revert menu command and you'll be back where you started. If not, well, life will be a lot more interting ...
3. Get your Text Tool. Click at the end of the text for the page before you had the problem. Then select the Edit>Paste menu command to replace the errant text in your text thread.
4. Get your Selection Tool again. Click on the text frame for that page before you had the problem. Now click on the bubble with the plus sign (+) at the bottom-right of the frame. Your cursor will pick up the text and your cursor will turn into the Place Gun.
5. Go to the now-blank page where you had the problem. Place the text. If needed, use your Selection Tool to click on the bubble with the plus sign (+) at the bottom-right of the frame. Your cursor will again pick up the text and your cursor will turn into the Place Gun. Now click on the bubble at the top-left of the page afer you had the problem to rejoin the text thread.
6. Edit/massage/fine-tune your text as necessary to remove any evidence at the scene of your minor formatting crime.

This should get you past your problem. Don't ask me how I know. I'll offer it anyway; because I've screwed up that way before.

Hope this helps,

Randy

That sounds like the text box is locked somehow. 

• If the text is not flowing from page to page, see if the problem page's text is on a unique master page. 
• See if the problem page's text frame is on a locked layer.
• If the text frame is locked.

Have a look at the place in Story Editor to see if there are any codes or something indicated that might effect the page.