Most of the time I start way before I'm ready - but really, when I know the characters and I know the beginning, middle and the end...

Am I ever ready to FADE IN? If I thought about it too much, I probably never would. I start with my 9 beats, my characters & their names, and have a sense of the theme I am looking to layer in throughout my story.

I don't think there's a definitive answer to the question. But if you've done sufficient prep work where you know the major Plotline points, you understand at least some / much of what each character is about and what their respective narrative functions is, if you know the ending -- that is crucial -- then follow your gut. When your instincts tell you you're ready, go for it. But once you commit to a first draft, go forward to FADE OUT. Do not turn back, keep pounding out pages, even if they're shit (in your estimation). So much better to have a draft to work on than this nebulous thing that still doesn't really exist because you haven't gotten to FADE OUT.

Lisa, what are those 9 beats, how do you lay them out on the 3 acts?