0 1 ); ▁she ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁a ▁daughter ▁in ▁ 9 9 9 . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁her ▁husband ▁died . ▁Sch ol ars ▁are ▁uns ure ▁when ▁she ▁started ▁writing ▁the ▁novel ▁( mon og at ari ) ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁Gen ji ▁but ▁she ▁was ▁certainly ▁writing ▁after ▁she ▁was ▁wid owed , ▁perhaps ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁gr ief . ▁In ▁her ▁di ary ▁she ▁describes ▁her ▁feelings ▁after ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁death : ▁" I ▁felt ▁de pressed ▁and ▁confused . ▁For ▁some ▁years ▁I ▁had ▁existed ▁from ▁day ▁to ▁day ▁in ▁list less ▁fashion   ... ▁doing ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁register ing ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁time   .... ▁The ▁thought ▁of ▁my ▁continu ing ▁l onel iness ▁was ▁quite ▁un b ear able ". ▁On ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁her ▁reputation ▁as ▁an ▁author , ▁Mur as aki ▁entered ▁service ▁with ▁Sh ō sh i ▁at ▁court , ▁almost ▁certainly ▁at ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁Sh ō sh i ' s ▁father , ▁Fu ji w ara ▁no ▁Mich in aga , ▁perhaps ▁as ▁an ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁continue ▁adding ▁chap ters ▁to ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁Gen ji . ▁She ▁began ▁writing ▁her ▁di ary ▁after ▁entering ▁imperial ▁service . ▁ ▁Di ary ▁The ▁di ary ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁v ign ettes ▁containing ▁length y ▁description ▁of ▁Sh ō sh i ' s ▁( known ▁as ▁Ak iko )' s ▁el dest ▁son ▁Prince ▁A ts u hi ra ' s ▁birth ,