Ep 104: How Christian Writers Can Make the Best Use of AI with Cara Ray & Thomas Umstattd

I’ve been sitting with this conversation since we recorded it — and I keep coming back to the moment Thomas compared a well-written AI prompt to the book of First Timothy. Paul opens with identity (I, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ), then establishes the recipient and their role, then gives detailed instructions. Thomas’s point was quiet but clarifying: the better you can articulate who you are, what you want, and what faithful execution looks like, the better any tool — human or AI — can serve your goals.That’s the spirit of this whole conversation.Thomas Umstattd Jr. is the CEO of Author Media, host of the Novel Marketing Podcast and The Christian Publishing Show, and someone who has spent nearly two decades helping writers build platforms and sell books with integrity. He’s also become one of the most grounded, practically wise voices I know on AI — not because he’s enthusiastic about every new thing, but because he understands the landscape clearly and isn’t afraid to name what’s actually happening.We talked about why AI is already embedded in every tool you use, why the question isn’t whether to engage with it but how, and — most helpfully for the writers in this community — what tools are actually worth your time and trust.A few things that stayed with me: the “paragraphs, not sentences” principle (most of us are prompting AI the way we Google, and it’s producing weak results because of it); the very real theological bias built into ChatGPT and Claude and why Grok’s commitment to truth-seeking makes it behave differently; and the story of Cosmo — an AI trained so thoroughly on the Western canon that it quietly became Christian without anyone intending it to.There’s also a sober, helpful section on ethics: what publishers allow, what none of them do, and why wisdom in this space requires thinking beyond permissions to what actually serves your readers and preserves your voice.Thomas shares where to find his Patron Toolbox (AI tools built specifically for authors), his free Micaiah Mode prompt, and the practical steps for moving from ChatGPT to a model that works better for your writing.Find Thomas at:* authormedia.com — his main hub, including all three podcasts and the Patron Toolbox* novelmarketing.com — the Novel Marketing Podcast* thomasumstattd.com — his personal site* social.authormedia.com — where you can find the free Micaiah Mode project instructions This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe