University students increasingly use hypertext to write their assignments. To employ hypertext effectively, more information about the hypertext authoring process is needed. There are features of hypertext which are not reflected in traditional theories of composition, especially the possibility to structure information visually. Our study indicates that graphical overview maps which can be edited are a rather attractive feature of hypertext authoring systems. Nevertheless, not all students profit from such features. Students employ different writing styles when they create hypertext documents. The majority of students experiments with hypertext's new features but others are still influenced by the model of the book.