Create Newspaper-Style Columns
The Problem:
More of a grumble, really: text in columns is difficult to control, and there aren't many changes you can make to the settings to make the text look the way you want.
The Solution:
It could be worse. The Columns dialog box (Format 
Columns) lets you choose the number of columns; control the width of each column, and the spacing between it and the column to its right; and choose whether to put a line between each column. If you're looking for more complex effects, you should probably be using a page-layout application rather than Word. But if you're stuck with Word, try the following:
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Use heading styles and text styles as usual to differentiate the paragraphs in your columns.
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To end a column early, choose Insert
Break, select the "Column break" option, and click the OK button. -
Use a text box overlapping one or more columns to add variety or impact to your layout.
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You can insert a picture in a column as usual (Insert
Picture From File), and you can wrap text around it or even run text through it. -
To put a table in a column, choose Table
Insert Table, as usual.