Denied unemployment, how do I appeal? - what worked for you?

My claim was denied after 16 weeks of waiting, and the letter says I have a short window to appeal. This is my first time dealing with any of this. The letter lists a deadline and a hearing process, but it is hard to follow. If you have appealed before, what helped you prepare?

Stay calm and stick to facts. Mine lasted about thirty minutes and felt more like a conversation than a trial.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 9 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.