1. Fights/Tussles/Epic Battles. Punches thrown, heroes/heroines knocked down, enemies overcome, maybe some blood. The ones that contain the physical, physical, physical!
2. The Intense. There might not be any fighting in the scene necessarily, but there might be an incredible sense/feeling of needing--needing to get somewhere, needing to succeed, needing to overcome an obstacle. Maybe a character is running down the street, in a thunderstorm, where the only enemies on the course are his own inner demons. Sometimes the greatest antagonists in a novel are those found within the character--those enemies they battle throughout the entire story and, sometimes, feel as if they'll never be able to thwart.
Regardless of what type of action scene you're writing, your characters need something to lift them up after they've fallen and, most of all, inspire them to be victorious. Every once in a while, we all need something that makes us want to run out and take on the world, right?
The following is my playlist that helps me find inspiration for some good ol' action and intensity! What songs get you pumped up for action?