I had recently decided to do something similar with my Thinkpad T60, but with Weyland-Yutani, Sway, Emacs, and Audacious (a music player). I even have it starting Sway and then Emacs as soon as I log in.
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This is such an interesting idea.
I don’t really struggle with getting distracted from my writing as writing typically is the distraction, but it’s always fun to see how people solve different problems. I went a more analog route for the “want to write more” thing. I keep a notebook just for writing alongside my commonplace book and I bring both with me just about everywhere. Once I built the habit, I found I didn’t have trouble staying focused no matter the format.
Even still, I’m tempted to do this to my old laptop just because it’s cool. Very “serious writer” coded, ya know?
I personally like the idea of having a laptop that’s been stripped down to just the essentials. Though, strictly speaking, I don’t need Emacs. I could make do with Midnight Commander (which has its own DOS-style editor) or even nano.
But I’m used to Emacs, and I would have tried kmscon if Weyland-Yutani didn’t work consistently on both of my Linux machines (desktop and laptop).
And this is a lot cheaper than buying a dedicated device, since I already have the hardware.
I used to do something like this a few years ago, except I used an old monitor, a mechanical keyboard and a Raspberry Pi. Later on, I’d use an old ThinkPad. I don’t know if it’s an ADHD thing, but when I’m specifically trying to concentrate on creative writing, even the most subtle and understated GUI can be way too distracting. Plus, NeoVim with some helpful mods really does feel kinda like you’re typing up a paper on a Brother Word Processor in 1997.
Making a writer deck is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while! Though, my motivation would be to have a writing machine that has an e-ink display. The lack of distractions is nice, but being able to write without eyestrain would be even better.
Tossing this out there mostly for anyone who’s discovering writer decks through this thread: you don’t have to use old laptops. There’s a lot of ways to make them! And many reasons why to :3
I could see building a writerdeck if I actually wrote more frequently. It would be a reward, I think, for publishing more.
As it is, while I write a little over 750 words every day, very little of it sees the public eye.
Most of Emily Dickinson’s work didn’t reach the public until after her death. Publication doesn’t matter unless you want it to matter.
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This sounds so fun! I’ve been thinking of turning an old laptop into a dedicated writing device, and it’s cool to find out other people have already done it, and there’s a name for it!
I really need to get an empty usb so I can finally experiment with linux…
No, it’s fair. For my part, I suspect it’s because people don’t believe in their own voices.