Sour Dough Starter

If you're following a recipe then you should be fine.  Actually it smells a bit vinegary at first.  Well I thought it did
If it's bubbling then that's the sign you're looking for.  Organic flour works best as it has more lives yeasts as it's not been treated with chemicals.  It's often not even more expensive than standard flour if you shop around

If you read up about starters you will find the descriptions of how they smell at first vary wildly, but they usually settle down. I don't think they ever really smell doughy though. Usually slightly tangy. Unless they are showing signs of growing mould just keep going. Their rising ability also improves with time, mine took months to get really good (a very cold house).  Good luck with the weekend bake.   

Your starter doesn't need to be in a warm place so I'd take it off the boiler and just keep it at the back of the kitchen worktop etc

My go to recipe is an Emmanuael Hadjiandreau one. I mix the flours that I use in it. Usually half white, and half oak smoked malt or a seed and grain mix.

75g starter
150 ml water
250g flour
4g salt

This makes one small loaf, I quadruple the recipe and make two large loaves. I also find I like more salt.
If I want to give my starter a boost, rather than putting it somewhere warm, I feed a little rye with my usual flour mix. Rye makes it really get going!
Do let us know how your bake goes.   

Ah, well there is where the skill comes in! I am still experimenting. Yes, just mix and knead as you normally would. But the rise times depend on the temperature of your dough, the temperature of the your room, the vigour of your starter, the type of flour and the volume of dough (a smaller quantity rises faster than a large one). Salt also slows it down, so the saltier the bread the longer the rise.
The good thing is that sourdough is more forgiving than commercially yeasted bread. I find the first rise takes around two hours in my coolish kitchen, but could go for much longer probably. The second rise takes a minimum of four to six hours. You just have to wait until it is ready. I can only tell by doing the 'poke' test.
When it is ready, get your oven as hot as it will go. Bake with steam ( hot water in a baking tray) for ten minutes, then turn down to 200 degrees/ gas mark 6 for thirty to thirty five minutes, until the internal temperature is 96-98 degrees.
Leave to cool in the oven with the door ajar, and don't slice for at least an hour. Ideally, leave until properly cool. Slicing hot bread ruins the crumb and texture. This is the hardest part!