Maybe do both? Concentate on your own character but control major events circumstantially. For example, a letter from the king's men, a traveller with news, coming across a burned village, hearing rumors in taverns/markets, meeting Northern raiders... theres a lot of ways.

Evershadow, could you put a section on the first OOC page with the links to all the CSs? Its hard to keep track of all the characters at the beginning and it would be easier for everyone.