I Hear Voices!

I know I've asked this question before, but I can't recall any answers that resolved my problem. So, I'll ask again.

If you are a "pantser," how do you concentrate on one story at a time?

My stories are character driven, which means I can't take credit for the storyline because I have a revolving door on my brain through which characters pass at any given moment.

The problem: I have far too many noisy people in my head, all trying to scream the loudest to gain my attention. Most come equipped with an idea they are anxious for me to transform into a novel, and when I begin typing, I feel like I'm telling myself a story and I can't wait to see what unfolds next. In other words, as strange as it may seem, my characters talk to me. I type, they provide the fodder.



I start one story with great intentions of completing it, but here comes someone else with something just a little more interesting that snares me away. I cannot believe how many unfinished stories I have in my WIP folder and how many pissed off heroes and heroines are in my head.

I haven't found the secret for tuning out the masses while I concentrate on completing one novel while the others wait their turn. Does anyone else encounter this obstacle, or is it only me?

I've tried plotting stories myself, but that's where I run into trouble. I can't plot for the life of me. I have to have a character right here at the keyboard with me so I can progress. I never know how a story is going to end until I get there. Okay, I take that back. I dreamed the ending of Sarah's Journey, but I know it was induced by Sarah, who'd been bugging me for days with questions about how I planned to tie up her story. That is the one and only time I ever got a peek at the ending before I got to that point in the story, and you know what...I didn't like knowing. I prefer being surprised. *lol*