I've always found stories where the heroes knew what their goal actually was and proceeded towards it in an organsied and linear fashion to be a) unrealistic and b) boring as hell. It's a level on which I would far rather have surprises, reversals, people learning more and therefore realising that their goals should be something more than they think they are.
I recommend watching the movie Adaptation to illustrate the pitfalls of taking McKee's advice without a serious pinch of salt.
Of course. I think you can apply the same structure to the Dresden books and even to classics like
The OdysseyDresden books usually start off with a case to solve. The goal is simple: help the client, get paid. But along the way he encounters twists and turns and we find that the tension and drama escalate. Similarly, Odysseus has a simple goal: get home. But then all kinds of wild stuff happens and a simple journey turns into an epic adventure.
I think that formula serves as a good backbone to use so that the author can work from the inside out and flesh out the story with the sort of things you've mentioned.
