May I ask Northerner a few questions? Is you audience aware that you are studying storytelling? They should not be. I have been a full time professional performer for fifty years and I can tell you that the most valuable asset you can possess is confidence. A confident performer puts an audience at ease. A confident performer does not encounter much unsolicited advice. Maybe, some drunken heckling but that is a different thread.
What aspects of storytelling are you studying? I sure hope you are taking acting lessons. That is what a storyteller needs, vocal control and believability. After that, it is just a matter of being at ease with an audience. Unfortunately, many performers fear the audience and audiences sense that fear. But, if you really like the audience, they will like you back. An audience is just a bunch of people and people tend to like people who like them.
So, stop being a student in your mind and in theirs. You will be great.

                      Mike Miller