How an introvert became a storyteller

Standing before an audience and holding their attention for an hour or more might sound like a nightmare to many introverts.

For Danielle Free, it once was.

The storyteller, who lives in rural Shropshire, now performs around the country, bringing to life tales of history, folklore and landscape in venues ranging from libraries and museums to ancient sites and windswept hillsides.

Many of her stories focus on historical women, as well as the landscapes and places connected to their lives.

"It's really nice to be right in the centre of where stories are," she said. "And to be able to just take them for a walk."

Yet not long ago, Free thought public speaking simply was not for her.

"People who know me laugh every time I tell them that I stand up in front of an audience and present or tell them a story," she said.

"It wasn't that long ago that I was having anxiety attacks and panic attacks about standing up and having to give presentations in front of people at work or when I was at university.

"I thought public speaking and telling stories is not something that's in me because it's too overwhelming."

Her route into storytelling was an unexpected one.

After completing a master's degree in Celtic Studies, she became fascinated by the bardic tradition and the centuries-old art of passing stories from one generation to another through the spoken word.

Then, during the Covid lockdowns, she signed up for an introductory storytelling course over Zoom.

The experience changed everything.

Free discovered telling a story felt completely different from giving a presentation.

"When you've got something that you're so passionate about and when you have something that you desperately want to tell, when you've got a good story, that seems to override some of the anxiety," she said.

"The anxiety shows up in a different way because I want to do the story justice. I want to tell it well."

She says she only tells stories she genuinely loves, and believes that passion helps bring them to life for audiences.

Today she can hold audiences' attention for an hour or more at a time, often without notes or a script.

People frequently ask how she remembers so much material.

The answer lies not in memorising every word, but in learning what she calls the "bones" of a story.

Rather than reciting a script, she builds a narrative around key scenes and images.

"I imagine it like a film in my head," she explained.

"If I were to ask you what your favourite film was, you could tell me what happens.

"It's being so in that world of the story that I can see it so clearly."

The approach means each performance is slightly different, shaped by the audience and the moment while still following the same path.

Free practices constantly, whether she is driving, walking or doing household chores.

"Story is always there," she said. "It's always on my mind and on my tongue."

These days, the silence of an attentive audience no longer feels intimidating.

In fact, it has become one of her favourite sounds.

"The silence that you get when people are completely enraptured by a story," she said, "is actually one of the most beautiful sounds that you can get."

For someone who once dreaded speaking in front of a room full of people, it marks a remarkable transformation.

But one thing, Free insists, has never changed.

"I am an introvert at heart," she said.

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