Okay, can I just say…

Okay, can I just say that I'm TOTALLY INTIMIDATED by this academic paper I've decided to try to write? It's been something like five years since I last wrote an academic paper, and I didn't do all that well on my grad school crit papers either. I got a few A's, yes, but I also got some B's (especially in Kathryn Stockton's classes), and B's are really bad in grad school. :-( It's equivalent to getting a C or D in undergrad, I think.

So here I am setting out to write a critical paper, that I'd actually like to try to publish, which is feeling so way out of my league. I don't even remember how to do research properly. Oh, I can read books, sure, but I think what I need to do is go and do an English literature journal search for other work on Sri Lankan writers, and I can't even remember how to do that. What are the relevant journals? Where do I find them? It's been so long that I just don't remember. Argh!!!

Maybe I can just read material for it for a few months (or years) instead? I'm really interested in the topic, after all -- I need and want to read this stuff anyway. And that way, I can put off the writing indefinitely?

I think I need a cheering squad. Or an advisor. I suspect I should go pester some of my colleagues, but I'm afraid they'll think I'm a total doofus.