Surviving 3 Weekends of Rollercoaster
I had plans. Big plans to continue with my editing of Hope from Burn the Sky duology. The pain started a few days into the week, and by Saturday night, I was in hospital. A wonderful night in the public system, and I was crying to see my wife and little girl again. The nurses and doctors were top-notch, and I couldn’t pick fault with how they treated me.
This all happened the week before a full weekend at GenreCon.
What I didn’t plan for? Just how exhausting the whole experience would be.
Weekend One: The Hospital Detour
It started with what I thought was just a little pain, but when the swelling started, the pain increased.
Fever, dizziness, and an inability to even sit up without feeling like I was on a rollercoaster from hell. The pain was such that I kept asking myself, do I stand, sit, or lie down?
So off to the hospital I went.
After hours of tests, waiting, and trying not to let the fluorescent lights burn into my soul, the doctors finally gave me a temporary diagnosis and a booking for a scan in the morning.
After several drips, the pain subsided a little, and all the scans returned with the issue, which was the lovely nurses' and doctors' correct guess.
I missed my family during that night and hoped dearly I wouldn’t spend another night in that freezing air-conditioning.
They sent me home with a script, and I started taking it that night.
Weekend Two: GenreCon or Bust
Now, I don’t consider myself a reckless person, but the thought of missing GenreCon?
I was still hobbling from the (then) minor swelling and pain but more from the lethargy.
GenreCon is a yearly convention for writers of most genres. This year was mostly fantasy, but the panels and discussions fit most genres. I spent most of my time in self-publishing talks on navigating Amazon and other platforms.
Attending a convention while being slightly delirious with pain is an experience I wouldn’t necessarily recommend, but I can’t say it didn’t make things interesting. I had moments of absolute clarity during incredible panels where authors shared insights into storytelling, publishing, and the ever-evolving world of genre fiction. Other times, I was fairly certain I was having conversations I wouldn’t fully remember later (apologies to anyone I might have confused in the process!).
Despite my less-than-ideal condition, GenreCon was everything I had hoped for, and more. The community, the passion for storytelling, the wealth of knowledge—it was all there. And even though I spent part of the weekend battling waves of brain fog, I don’t regret a second of it.
Weekend Three: The Lingering Side Effects and an Unexpected Challenge
After the adrenaline of GenreCon wore off, I was left with the reality of my body still struggling to adjust to the medication. The fatigue lingered, my appetite was unpredictable, and focusing on anything for long periods felt like a challenge. I had hoped to use this weekend to catch up on some much-needed editing, but my body had other plans.
To make things even more complicated, Brisbane was threatened by a cyclone. Cyclones don’t usually come this far south, which led to widespread closures, including childcare. That meant I had to look after our little girl while Amanda was “at work” (working from home) dealing with all sorts of pain from the so-called "cure." Balancing parenting with cleaning the yard for high winds, exhaustion, and discomfort was no easy feat, but somehow, we made it through.
Lessons Learned
Listen to your body. As much as I hate missing out, I probably should have rested more before throwing myself into a convention weekend.
Medication side effects are no joke. Read the fine print, hydrate, and for the love of all things, don’t assume you’ll just “push through” them unscathed.
Community makes everything better. Even though I wasn’t at 100%, being surrounded by fellow writers and creatives gave me a boost that no medication could.
Parenting doesn’t pause for illness. No matter how rough you feel, life keeps moving—and sometimes, you have to find a way to keep up.
Would I do it all over again? Yes. But ultimately, GenreCon was worth it, and even my condition couldn’t keep me from experiencing it. Here’s hoping I’ll attend in full health next year—without a hospital detour, lingering side effects, or a cyclone thrown into the mix!
Thanks
I would like to thank the Queensland Writers’ Centre, the Queensland State Library, and The Edge for hosting such a great weekend.
A new subject is coming.
From next week, I’ll be breaking down some classic Sci-Fi movies and examining whether they still match today’s type of storytelling.
