I think there are free editors for LaTeX that show you the code and the end result next to each other, and let you edit either.

You need to learn the ability to resist the urge to tweak layout. You're using a professional document preparation tool that well make your document look professional. Playing with trendy fonts and margins and placement is how regular people make documents in a word processor that look less professional than LaTeX.

LaTeX gives you the respectability of the corporate style of the professional science researcher, but if you want free-form do-it-how-you-like, you really really really don't want LaTeX.