for(my $lineno = 0; $lineno < @$section; $lineno++) {
    my $line = $section->[$lineno];

    if($line =~ m/^\[*#]/) {
        # This line is the start of a list
        my $start = $lineno;

        # Where is the end?
        my $end = $lineno;
        $end++ while($section->[$end+1] =~ /^[\*#]/);

        # Get all the lines that are part of the list
        my @list_lines = @{$section}[$start..$end];

        # Put one of the suggested answers to your initial
        # request into a subroutine and pass it the set of lines
        # that represents a single list, getting back the data
        # structure you requested in your original post.
        my $internal = parse_list(@list_lines);

        # Extract the list type and contents from the data
        # structure
        my ($type, $list) = @$internal;

        my $opt = '???';    # Where should $opt come from?

        # And pass these to the list sub to produce the list.
        list($tab, $type, $list, $opt);

        # All the lines of the list have been dealt with.  Move
        # the line number (index into @$section) to the end of
        # the list then carry on to process the rest of the
        # section.
        $lineno = $end;

    } else {
        # This line is something other than a list line
        $line = convert_string($section->[$lineno], $line_magic);

        line($tab, $line),     next if $line =~ /^</;
        line($tab, "<$line>"), next if $line =~ /^[bh]r$/;
        $doc_magic->{$1}->(),      next if $line =~ /^&\s+(.*)/;
        blockquote($tab, $1),  next if $line =~ /^bq\s(.*)/;
        row($tab + 1, $1, row_line($2)), next if $line =~ /^\|\s(.+)\s\|\|(.+)$/;
        heading($tab, $1, $2, { id => idify($2) }),    next if $line =~ /^([1-6])\s+(.*)/;
        paragraph($tab, $line, { class => 'author' }), next if $line =~ /^by /;
        paragraph($tab, $line);
    }
}