So your next step in this process主语 needs及物动词谓语 to be, to go look at the work you've selected as your topic and bring a pencil and a notepad with you.不定式短语to be...作need的宾语。

这里need to be...中，need为实意动词，故后接to do不定式作宾语。但在意义上有情态含义，大约等于下句：

So your next step in this process should be, to go look at the work you've selected as your topic and bring a pencil and a notepad with you.

to go look...and bring...为to be的表语语，口语中为了突出表语，作了停顿，故书面整理时加了逗号。