Super-ultra-bare-bones for writing

I want to build a second machine almost entirely for the purpose of writing. My main computer is fine, but I have crazy ADD and don't get shit done when I try to do any writing on it because there's so much to distract me.

Anyway, my plan is to build something mini-itx and just run some flavor of linux. Any reason this wouldn't be totally OK? I just need something simple and serviceable.

Don't even bother buying a mini-ITX, you pay more to have things shrunk down (just like with laptops). Find a "pizza-box," former business machine, maybe an IBM Netvista, at a thrift store or other junk shop. Small footprint, low spec. Load it up with Damn Small Linux off a CD -- can also be installed to the HD if you so prefer -- and do your writing in Beaver.

If you really wanna be hardcore and make sure you can do very little, run an MS-DOS boot disk that has EDIT on it and do all your text-editing within that. Bam, straight from the old school.