FCP newbie can't even create a title
 

I've looked at a bunch a tutorials. I'm supposed to get "sample text" in the viewer, instead I get this (attached) and can't do anything with it.

Select text, as you have done, then go up to the controls tab and open it. / Battle Vaughan/miamiherald.com video team

Text is not really an effect that you apply to an existing clip. It is a generator that you add to your timeline as a separate element or clip. Try this:

In your browser window, select the Effects tab, and choose your preferred text element from the video generator list. (They will be listed in the Text folder of your Video Generators folder.)

From here, there a few ways to go about this, but for simplicity, just drag your preferred Text generator to your timeline and place it where you wish it to be (such as positioned on a new video track over the video clip you wish the text to appear on top of. Then you can double-click on and that text clip in the timeline, at which point you will see the "sample text" frame in your viewer.

You will also see your viewer tabs change in accordance to the type of clip you are now viewing, and the Controls tab will be added. You can select this Controls tab in the viewer to alter the text clip, set the parameters for your text, and type what you want the text to be.

Hope this helps.

-Jon

Or just go to the viewer, click the generator pop-up menu, click text, click controls in the viewer, type your text, insert it on timeline where you need it.

You don't need tutorials. Just refer to the manual (p 474, vol 3 fcp6).