I have a paper 1099 from one of my contractors from before I signed up for QB. Can I either manually add it or can I generate a 1099 without having them start an account?

Hey, @thebravemamaco-g. 

Welcome to the Community! 

The easiest route would be to to mail them. However, if you're wanting to have the 1099 show in the QBO account, you should be able to work through the 1099 workflow. Then once you get to step 4, you can select No, I'll print and mail. 

Use this guide for more details: Create and file 1099s. 

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! Have a wonderful day!