This: https://seliger.com/2017/08/21/grant-writing-help-series-put... is about one example of effective non-fiction persuasive writing like scientific and technical grants: "Put the most important thing in the first sentence." By the way, the whole Dave Barry interview is worth reading: https://medium.com/conversations-with-tyler/tyler-cowen-dave..., although most of it doesn't seem to be immediately on topic.