Writer-Centric POV Playlist: You’re thinking up a montage where characters search a magical marketplace for a secret potion
- Katherine Arkady
- Jan 23
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 25
Introduction
Lanterns flicker with an otherworldly glow, casting dancing shadows over stalls brimming with enchanted trinkets. The air is thick with the scent of rare spices, crackling spellbooks, and something… electric. Somewhere in this maze of wonders, tucked between a vendor selling bottled stardust and a fortune-teller whispering forgotten prophecies, lies the potion your characters desperately need.
But the clock is ticking. The market shifts like a living thing, and not everything—or everyone—here is what they seem.
You need a soundtrack that captures the thrill of the search, the awe of the unknown, and the quiet tension of a deal struck in whispers. So plug in, let the music guide you, and lose yourself in the magic.
And scroll down for writing tips!
The Set List
You Can Do Magic
America View From The Ground
Mendelssohn: Overture "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op. 21
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Clocks
Vitamin String Quartet Vitamin String Quartet Performs Coldplay
Make Your Own Kind Of Music
Mama Cass Mama's Big Ones
Got My Mind Set on You
George Harrison Cloud Nine
21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 5, Allegro in F-Sharp Minor
David Parry & London Philharmonic Orchestra
Mr. Blue Sky
Electric Light Orchestra All Over The World: The Very Best Of ELO
The Flight of the Bumble-bee
Neeme Järvi, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Groove Is in the Heart
Deee-Lite World Clique
Richter: Spring 1 (2012)
Max Richter, Daniel Hope, Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin
Writing Tips for a Magical Marketplace Scene
Use sensory details – What does the market smell like? Sound like?
Make the marketplace feel alive – Let it have rules, quirks, and unexpected twists.
Give vendors personality – A grumpy old witch, a mischievous fox spirit, a shopkeeper who only accepts riddles as payment.
Play with magic – Items that whisper, stalls that shift locations, a potion that tries to escape.
Add obstacles – The potion isn’t easy to get; maybe it’s hidden, cursed, or ridiculously expensive.
Links to My Playlist Profiles
May they find what they're looking for,
Katherine Arkady
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