Windows Live Writer Tip #3 – Turn on real time word count
Many users have found the word count feature until the “Tools” menu. It is possible to turn on word count so it will continue to update in the status bar, just as it would in Microsoft Word:
This feature can be turned on though:
Tools > Options > Editing > Show real-time word count in status bar
Some history for those that care. Real time word count was the first feature I worked on when I joined the Windows Live Writer team. :)