For me writing is also a much bigger part of the process. Writing out my explanation of the problem (its symptoms and my theories) to a colleague, even if I don't send it off, can spur me to come up with a new idea. Writing blog posts or an outline of such a blog post can help me spot gaps in my understanding and justifications. And writing down the solution, for myself two weeks ago as the intended audience, helps me internalize the important bits while filing away the minutiae for later reference. Publishing it on my blog also ensures that I spend enough time on the writeup that it is actually helpful for myself later, and not just a mess of notes.