diff --git a/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/SKILL.md b/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/SKILL.md
index cd2af35..2753f26 100644
--- a/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/SKILL.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Write a structured ideas report after a `brainstorm-ideas` session has converged
 Follow `skills/how-to-technical-writing/SKILL.md` for sentence- and paragraph-level prose rules. Follow `skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md` for context loading, citation handling, gap-filling research, output format, diagrams, and finish checks.
 
 - Primary source: `docs/discussion/*-brainstorm-ideas-log.md`. If multiple logs exist and the request does not identify one, ask which to use.
-- If no log exists, ask the user to brainstorm first or describe the chosen direction and reasoning to preserve.
+- If no log exists, use the chosen direction and reasoning already in the conversation or supplied notes. Ask only for substance needed to write the requested report.
 - Save to `articles/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-ideas-report.{md,typ,tex}` with a matching bibliography when citations are used.
 - When entering from `brainstorm-ideas` Phase 3, carry forward the active conversation log, user profile, chosen direction, key references, and concrete action plan without asking the user to repeat them.
 
diff --git a/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md b/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md
index 1d092c9..8cd409d 100644
--- a/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md
+++ b/skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md
@@ -6,11 +6,15 @@ Resolve the installed `how-to-download-ref` skill from the agent's catalog and s
 
 ## Context
 
-- Resolve the project KB with `KB=$(python3 "$DOWNLOAD_REF_DIR/helpers/resolve_kb.py")`.
-- If present, read `$KB/NOTES.md`, `$KB/INDEX.md`, and the canonical bib `$KB/references.bib`.
+Start from what the user supplied: text, source files, scope, format, and any
+authorization already given. A local prose edit needs the passage plus the
+definitions and citations it depends on, not the whole KB or conversation history.
+
+- Resolve the project KB when KB-backed context is needed: `KB=$(python3 "$DOWNLOAD_REF_DIR/helpers/resolve_kb.py")`.
+- Read `$KB/INDEX.md` and `$KB/NOTES.md` for the topic, then the relevant notes and bibliography entries. Screening the whole bibliography belongs to an explicitly selected review.
 - Read `docs/discussion/user-profile.md` when audience, background, or positioning matters.
-- For ideas/manuscripts, read relevant `docs/discussion/*-brainstorm-ideas-log.md`.
-- If the needed literature base is missing, suggest the `survey` skill or ask the user for explicit source files.
+- For ideas/manuscripts, read the relevant `docs/discussion/*-brainstorm-ideas-log.md`, starting from the wrap-up section.
+- Papers the user supplied and a manuscript-local bibliography are valid sources without a sci-brain KB. If the needed literature base is missing, suggest the `survey` skill or ask the user for explicit source files.
 
 The canonical bib is `$KB/references.bib`.
 
@@ -18,13 +22,13 @@ The canonical bib is `$KB/references.bib`.
 
 ## Scope the source set
 
-A write-up covers a *subset* of the bib — the references the relevant `NOTES.md` section(s) actually cite, not all 100+ accumulated entries. Determine that subset deterministically instead of by eye:
+For a KB-backed report, a write-up covers a *subset* of the bib — the references the relevant `NOTES.md` section(s) actually cite, not all 100+ accumulated entries. Determine that subset deterministically instead of by eye:
 
 ```sh
 python3 "$DOWNLOAD_REF_DIR/helpers/scope_refs.py" --notes "$KB/NOTES.md" --bib "$KB/references.bib"
 ```
 
-It prints the scoped cite keys (one per line) and exits non-zero if any `[@key]` anchor in the notes has no bib entry — fix dangling anchors before drafting. Use `--json` for `{scoped, missing, unused}`. Draft against the scoped keys; the `unused` list is out of scope unless the user asks to widen it.
+When the user supplied explicit sources instead, use those directly; do not require NOTES.md. The helper prints the scoped cite keys (one per line) and exits non-zero if any `[@key]` anchor in the notes has no bib entry — fix dangling anchors before drafting. Use `--json` for `{scoped, missing, unused}`. Draft against the scoped keys; the `unused` list is out of scope unless the user asks to widen it.
 
 ## References
 
@@ -61,11 +65,16 @@ For Typst, prefer native `grid` + `rect` + fixed-width `box()` for text-heavy la
 
 Run these checks before declaring the document done — do not eyeball them:
 
-- **Compile** the document (`typst compile <file>.typ`, or the LaTeX/Markdown equivalent) and confirm it exits cleanly.
-- **No dangling citations.** Grep the compile log for unresolved-reference warnings; for Typst, a missing key warns rather than errors, so an empty grep is the pass condition:
+- **Compile** the document and check both the exit status and the log. For Typst, a missing cite key only warns, so a clean exit alone is not a pass; the block below fails on a nonzero exit *or* on any warning, and prints the log either way (replace `main.typ` with the source file):
   ```sh
-  typst compile <file>.typ 2>&1 | grep -i "unresolved\|warning" || echo "clean"
+  LOG=$(mktemp)
+  typst compile main.typ >"$LOG" 2>&1; status=$?
+  cat "$LOG"
+  grep -Eiq 'unresolved|warning' "$LOG" && status=1
+  rm -f "$LOG"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ] && echo clean
   ```
+  Use the LaTeX/Markdown equivalent for other formats. Read every warning before calling the build clean.
 - **Every scoped claim is cited.** Confirm each `@key` in the prose resolves to a bib entry and that no scoped key was silently dropped (cross-check against `scope_refs.py` output).
 - **Non-empty bibliography** renders in the output.
 - Report the output path and any skipped verification.
diff --git a/tests/test_writing_workflow.py b/tests/test_writing_workflow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62a5c07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_writing_workflow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+"""Execute the documented Typst build check against realistic outcomes."""
+
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "compiler_exit,diagnostic,expected_exit",
+    [
+        (0, "", 0),
+        (0, "warning: unresolved citation", 1),
+        (2, "error: unknown variable", 1),
+        (127, "compiler unavailable", 1),
+    ],
+)
+def test_documented_compile_check_handles_failure_and_warnings(
+    tmp_path, compiler_exit, diagnostic, expected_exit
+):
+    workflow = (
+        ROOT / "skills/how-to-write-ideas-report/references/writing-workflow.md"
+    ).read_text()
+    blocks = re.findall(r"```sh\n(.*?)\n\s*```", workflow, re.DOTALL)
+    checks = [block for block in blocks if "typst compile" in block]
+    assert len(checks) == 1
+
+    compiler = tmp_path / "typst"
+    compiler.write_text(
+        '#!/bin/sh\nprintf "%s\\n" "$TEST_DIAGNOSTIC" >&2\n'
+        'exit "$TEST_COMPILER_EXIT"\n'
+    )
+    compiler.chmod(0o755)
+    logs = tmp_path / "logs"
+    logs.mkdir()
+    env = {
+        **os.environ,
+        "PATH": str(tmp_path) + os.pathsep + os.environ["PATH"],
+        "TMPDIR": str(logs),
+        "TEST_DIAGNOSTIC": diagnostic,
+        "TEST_COMPILER_EXIT": str(compiler_exit),
+    }
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ["/bin/sh", "-c", checks[0]],
+        cwd=tmp_path,
+        env=env,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == expected_exit, result
+    assert diagnostic in result.stdout + result.stderr
+    assert not list(logs.iterdir()), "temporary compiler log was not removed"