Rebuild the missing context
Assume the recipient will not remember every date, promise, or earlier conversation. For a message about how to tell family you lost your job, use this factual base: lead with the confirmed event, what it changes, who already knows, and any practical next step.
Say what needs to happen next
State the decision, information, or practical action you need and include a real deadline only when one exists. Say what support or decision is needed now and make clear when no response is required. Make the immediate next step clear enough that the recipient can answer without reconstructing the entire history.
Avoid making urgency into pressure
Do not hide the central fact behind a long preface, speculate, or offer reassurance you cannot support. For death, abuse, medical emergencies, legal danger, or immediate safety risk, use qualified and urgent support first. Do not make the other person responsible for reducing the discomfort that prompted you to write.