QuoteAnnnnnnddd....anoth er question: how about when a thread does not get completed because of let's say, one or more of the players goes MIA? Then what? Guess as to what happens and take it from there or just scrap it and say it didn't happen or wasn't important enough in their timeline to be considered?
That's another thing that is up to you!
I can tell you what I do, of course, but you certainly don't have to do what I do! Again, find what works best for you and your characters. ;D
In my case, it all depends on the impact of the thread.
For example, there have been times when I've started an open thread, it got a few replies, and then the player poofed before it really got off the ground. In cases like that, I've actually been known to reuse my thread starter because I'm like "GOSH DARNIT I LIKED THIS OPENER, I'M NOT LETTING IT GO TO WASTE!" xD And in that case, I just kinda pretend the original thread didn't happen. >_> If nothing happened that impacted/affected my character in some way, then I'm okay with doing that!
If the thread got really deep in, though, and then the player poofed, I consider it "canon" to my character. And then I just kind of assume things about how things ended. xD If the characters were in a romantic relationship and the person poofed, I just sorta...>_> pretend the character's partner one day POOFED without explanation and then I might either plop my character in their next thread with them searching for their missing partner. But, of course, gradually they'll come to terms with it and move on. 8D
And if I don't want to deal with the "OMG WHERE DID THIS PERSON GO?!" element, then I'll just assume enough time passed between events that my character recovered from it and moved on.
If it's a group thread and a player goes MIA, I just skip 'em, honestly. xD I just kinda wiggle my fingers and assume the missing character just sorta...ran off...somewhere...to do things...>_> and just sorta skip awkwardly past it and keep the thread going, lmfao.
It's not perfect, of course! xD It takes a lot of suspending disbelief! But to me it's better than having a thread stall.