question about simple algorithm to my problem

[jamie_01]

question about this line

#!/usr/bin/python3

names = [] # list
outF = open("myOutFile.txt", "w")

total = 0
p = '\n'
char_count = "Char count: "
lines_of_text = 1

def findLength (str): # total characters of word
    counter = 0
    counter_total = 0
    for p in str:
        counter += 1 # each word
    return counter

def strTotal (str): # total characters in 3 words
    counter = 0
    counter_total = 0
    for p in str: 
        counter = findLength(str)
        counter_total += counter
    return counter_total

for number in range (1, 4):
    scan_input = input ("Enter line: ")
    names.append(f"name: {scan_input}")
    outF.write (p)
    outF.write(scan_input)
    outF.write(p)
    outF.write ("Char count: ")
    lines_of_text += 1
    print (" ", scan_input, findLength (scan_input))

print ("How many lines of text: ", lines_of_text - 1)
print ("How many characters of text (total chars): ", strTotal (scan_input)) # total characters

Also, i was wondreing, would it be better to write

def strTotal (x)

with a int value (x), and somehow get the variable from findLength function (i googled counter = findLength() could work). And also, is this where my Data Structure and Algorithm learning comes into play, inside the for loop inside the strTotal function (writing statements with the compound assignment operator (writing an algorithm). thanks, please would just like to print out the final print statement for a total of characters for the three words (character's added up out of all three words. The output to text file works.

print ("How many characters of text (total chars): ", strTotal (scan_input)) # total characters