@debe @orionkidder

Another method is to keep #mannerisms and #dialogue from butting into each other:

She took a drink, looked outside. "The problem is we tried too hard."

Above, you show her #hesitancy through #actions - drinking, looking away - not dialogue tags.

Or, create the #pause w/ an unobtrusive "said" tag:

"Problem is," she said, "we tried too hard."

Or, show a pause w/ just an #ellipsis:

"The problem is...we tried too hard."