Google Apps have come a long way since they were first introduced, and that is especially true for Google Docs. Once a simple online word processor, Google Docs is now a real contender with the likes of Word. Their main advantage is the ability for multiple people to edit the same document simultaneously. With add-ons available, and the ability to view and edit Word documents, it is a fully functional word processor. While it may not be the same as Word, it is a very capable program.
Creating a Document
To create a Google Doc, first, go to your Google Drive. Then click New and select Google Docs. If you wish to create a new document from a template then after you have done the previous step and are in Google Docs, go to File > New > From template... your document will be created. You can change the name of the document by clicking Untitled Document in the top left corner and entering a new name. Click anywhere else or hit enter to save the name. Google Docs save automatically so you don't need to manually save or worry about losing your progress. Google Docs also has a robust revision tracking system. This allows you to restore previous versions of a document, and see in-depth changelogs about who changed what. This feature makes Google Docs ideal for group work. This way you can see exactly who contributed what and see the work distribution.
Opening an Existing Document
Opening an existing document is also very easy. If it is a Google Doc you can find it in your Drive and open it from there and just start editing. If it's a Word Document then you'll need to go to your Drive and click New and then choose File upload. From there you should be able to work on the file in Google Docs. If you're on a Chromebook you will be able to edit the document in its native form. If you are not and would like to edit a .docx in that format then you can download this extension for Chrome that will allow you to do so. If you choose not to download the extension and are not on a Chromebook then Google Docs will make a copy of the .docx file in the Google Doc format and you will begin editing that file. Please note that if you choose to upload an existing file then the version on your computer will remain unchanged. If you want the edited version on your computer you will have to download it. Otherwise, it will stay in your Drive, ready to access from anywhere.