UPDATE, WEDNESDAY PM: HBO has confirmed that volume knocked the submission site off its rocker today. Check out our updated story here.

PREVIOUS, FEBRUARY 25, 10:07 AM: On the heels of its inaugural HBOAccess Directing Fellowship, HBO today announced it has launched the HBOAccess Writing Fellowship, which is seeking emerging writers from diverse backgrounds. Applications for the program will be accepted beginning March 4. Participants will attend a week of master classes at HBO’s Santa Monica campus that will focus on character and story development, pitching ideas and projects, securing an agent, and networking. Each participant will then go on to an eight-month writing phase where he/she will be paired with an HBO development executive and guided through the script development process. At the conclusion of the program, HBO will hold a reception and staged reading for industry professionals where the writers will be introduced to the entertainment industry.

The HBOAccess Writing Fellowship is open to writers 21 and older who must be able to work in the U.S. Prior to the application, the writer must not have been staffed on a network or cable series in excess of 13 episodes and/or had more than one feature film or more than two plays produced.

All submissions must be made through the online portal, Without A Box, and will require a resume, a writing sample, a completed release form and a personal essay in 500 words or less explaining how his/her background has influenced his/her storytelling. For more information on eligibility, visit here.

Last year, four directors were selected for the HBOAccess Directing Fellowship. The program ended with the production of four short films which are set to air in March on HBO On Demand and HBO GO.