Preparing for gigs questions

I'd really like to start performing. I feel like I spend so much time practicing on my own - with no audience to hear me, the motivation just isn't there to 'learn a song completely', as in being able to play and sing a song competently. So most of my songs are in varying stages of completion.

I have about three songs I can play all the way through and sing, although badly - I feel like I can work on them enough to where I'd be at a point where I could venture out to an open mic and try them out in public in a couple of months.

I'm also working on writing original material, but it's coming slowly. Eventually I'd like to be able to play a 1-2 hour set of original material with a few covers. But I'd like to get some experience playing some solo acoustic gigs of mainly covers and a few originals first, maybe at local coffee houses. I read on the internet that these usually consist of 2-3 45 minute sets, followed by a 10-15 minute break. That works to around 40-45 songs! That seems really difficult to me right now, I don't know how I'll have the time to get that many songs up to 'performance level' complete with singing (and my singing needs work too!).

I guess I'd describe myself as an intermediate guitarist, and a novice performer. One thing I should say is that, I could probably actually get a set of really easy 3 chord songs together fairly quickly (probably a few months) - but most of the songs that I like to play are usually intermediate to expert level songs with some fingerpicking and soloing. Maybe if I focus on easy songs I could make this goal of performing for people happen a lot more quickly. I don't think it would be as interesting to me, though.

Anyone have any experience bringing their skills up to a level where you can perform in public? How long did it take til you could play open mics, how long til you could play longer sets? Right now it seems like it'll take forever til I get there. Any tips on how to prepare? I practice guitar about 2 hours a day on average, usually with a metronome or backing track. When I feel like I can play a song perfectly on guitar I start trying to sing along with it, at this point that's only a handful of songs - and I don't practice singing every day, only when I feel up to it, usually when noone's around. Maybe I should at least practice singing softly every day. Any advice appreciated.

Sounds like your practicing time is good. Most open mics only let you do 3 songs anyway so you don't have to worry about doing 3 hours. Most gigs are only 35-45 minute sets unless the club has you do the whole nite. the band I'm in right now, we play 3 sets with the breaks like you said but over the last 20 years it's usually been a 40 min set or so. Almost every band does at least one cover at some time in their performing so you're on the right track with that too.
I would keep doing what you're doing and pick your 3 best sounding songs and start with an open mic. You can even start with just 1 song, some open mics are like that too. You'll really learn alot by performing, it's a whole new trip! Singing (to me) is the hardest part, you should devote daily time to improvement. I sing along to an instructional course on my iPod on the way to work, going over scales and breathing excercises, it really helps!