Killing the Wandering Protagonist

A week ago, my novel's second chapter sucked.  I felt that hopelessness that all but the most cocky fiction writer's sometimes face.  What was I doing wrong? 

I edited  my way through the chapter and realized that minor edits were not going to save my meandering mass of words.  My MC, Kristian, needed something that I was not giving him.  He needed a "scene purpose."  He needed to attain it or not attain it, not just wander around Helsinki, meeting a vast array of interesting characters. 

A "scene purpose", defined in the book Plot &Structure by James Bell, on page 114 is  "may be anything that is a step in achieving the story goal."  So I took this advice.  I gave Kristian an idea how to stop his dad from keeping him in Finland.   This idea pulled the chapter together like string.  In giving my MC a purpose, I had, inadvertantly, given myself one too.   I knew which characters needed to be chopped.  I knew why Kristian needed to visit his cousin's house. 

Now this chapter needs more work, but the rambley, "why am I reading this" feeling was gone.   I am back on track - Thanks, Mr. Bell.