The simple answer is no. The *.doc file format is a Microsoft proprietary format that only Word can natively create. However, there are multiple applications that can open, read and edit this file...
The best way that I have found is to create a text box with no border in the margin, and type in it.
Or are you talking about making comments in the margin? That would be done by using mark-ups.
You can save your Microsoft works document in "saved as" to be a Microsoft word document. All you do is have to go to "File" the go to "Save As" then go to "Save as type" and then click the down...
Go to the top, and click tools and about the 4th one down will say word count. Another AnswerGenerally, the software will count the characters between spaces as 'one word'; however, numbers, acronyms...