As a rule of thumb, when the pause between two adjacent sentences implied by the
period seems a bit too halting, try a semicolon.<p>I find it easier to think about the utility of semicolons from the perspective of individual sentences to be combined. And therefore, if a properly used semicolon were to be replaced with a period, the two resulting sentences should still make sense in isolation, they'd just feel ever so slightly too far apart.<p>"Semicolons bring the drama. That's why I love them." Does it work? Yes. Is there a clear through-line from one sentence to the next? Yes. Does the pause between the sentences feel a bit too abrupt, though? Maybe!<p>("Establish clear through-line" can be another nice reason to combine sentences with a semicolon.)