It was a creative writing class by another author if I remember the story. He had graduated with a literature degree already and was trying and failing to write super high-minded stuff and get it published. This teacher and he were butting heads because she wanted him to basically do a story that he considered trope-y or cliched. So finally he sat down to prove her wrong and out popped the first part of Dresden files. She sent him home to map out the rest and he misunderstood and mapped out the entire series when she meant the rest of the book.

Yeah, I tried reading it to see what all of the fuss was about and I couldn't get through it.

I didn't even mind the writing. I read the first three or four. I could even get past some of the cliche shit like electronics breaking because he's a wizard harry. But he is such a m'lady neckbeard that I just gave up.