Can't work in work path

Hello. As per a handful of web tutorials, I've created a work path around an image in a Photoshop document with the intention of wrapping text around the image (a rectangular selection with a smaller selection subtracted for the image). When I select the work path, it appears on the document. When I select the text tool and hover the cursor inside the work path, the cursor appears with a dotted circle surrounding it. When I try to place the cursor inside the work path to begin typing text, a new path appears in the Paths dialog box entitled, for example, Layer 2 Type Path, and the work path is no longer visible in the document (instead, a rectangular selection appears which corresponds to the outline of the work path, but does not show the subtracted area). When I start typing, of course, the text runs right over the subtracted area. Thanks in advance for any troubleshooting help with this.